GroceryAid supported 19,200 grocery workers and their families in the past year as financial pressures and wider economic challenges continue to affect the sector, according to the charity's latest Impact Report.
The 2025/26 report comes nine months after GroceryAid unveiled the biggest refresh of its brand in its 169-year history, with the charity saying increased investment in awareness is helping more grocery colleagues access its services.
Financial grant applications rose 15 per cent year on year during the campaign period, while visits to the welfare section of GroceryAid's website increased by 12 per cent during its first awareness campaign.
In total, the charity provided financial grants to 8,162 colleagues, supported 4,210 people through its helpline, funded specialist support for 1,421 people through partner organisations and helped 4,576 people access additional welfare support through its website.
GroceryAid's research found that 53 per cent of grocery workers had experienced unexpected, tough times during the past 18 months, with cost of living pressures, housing costs and mental wellbeing among the challenges facing colleagues.
However, the charity said stigma remains a barrier to accessing support, with almost one in three (31 per cent) people who need help saying they are prevented from reaching out by fear of being judged.
Financial pressures remain one of the main reasons colleagues seek help. GroceryAid awarded 8,395 grants to 8,162 grocery workers during the year, a 3 per cent increase on the previous year.
The grants include Financial Relief Grants for unexpected circumstances, Cost of Living Grants to help with household bills and rent, School Essentials Grants and Carers Gateway Grants for colleagues with caring responsibilities.
Emotional support also remained a key part of the charity's work. More than 4,200 grocery colleagues accessed the GroceryAid Helpline, resulting in more than 11,000 support sessions covering issues including anxiety, complex mental health conditions, stress, bereavement and relationship challenges.
The charity introduced a High Intensity Counselling service in 2025, providing specialist cognitive behavioural therapy for people experiencing moderate mental health conditions. This contributed to an 84 per cent increase in structured counselling sessions.
Through its partnership with Relate, GroceryAid also provided 1,449 counselling sessions to 243 grocery workers and their families during the year.
GroceryAid CEO Kieran Hemsworth said the results showed that the charity's strategy was delivering “real outcomes” by helping more colleagues find and access support.
“Seeing more people come forward is exactly what we set out to achieve,” he said.
However, Hemsworth said the report also highlighted the continued impact of wider economic and societal pressures, as well as the stigma that prevents some colleagues from seeking help.
“That's why raising awareness and tackling the stigma around seeking support remain such important priorities,” he said.
GroceryAid said it would continue investing in awareness of its services while strengthening its fundraising programme, including through new supporters, diversified income streams and continued engagement with existing partners.
Hemsworth added that continued fundraising would be essential as demand for the charity's services grows.
“We're incredibly grateful to our colleagues, trustees, volunteers, partners and supporters whose commitment makes that possible,” he said.