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The organic range set up by the Prince of Wales has raised more than £30 million for charity since it was licensed to Waitrose just over a decade ago, the supermarket has said.
Sales from Waitrose Duchy Organic products provide an annual donation to The Prince of Wales’s Charitable Fund (PWCF), which supports wide-ranging causes across the UK helping to create sustainable communities.
The latest yearly donation came to £3.6 million, bringing the total raised to in excess of £30 million since 2009.
James Bailey, Waitrose’s executive director, described the achievement as a milestone.
“We are proud to be custodians of this brand and, after a year of record sales, look forward to further success and support for The Prince of Wales’s many charitable causes in the future,” he added.
Waitrose Duchy Organic was originally founded by Charles as Duchy Originals in 1990 to promote sustainable produce and champion organic food.
The prince’s first product was the now-famous Duchy Originals oaten biscuit, made from wheat and oats harvested from his Home Farm in Gloucestershire.
The brand was brought exclusively to Waitrose in 2009 and the range now features more than 300 food and drink products.
Paula Wilson, The Prince of Wales’s Charitable Fund finance director, said: “We are keen that our grants make a difference to peoples lives.”
Over the last five years, more than 700 organisations have been supported by PWCF including the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, Streetwise Opera and The Hinge Centre in Bridlington.
Streetwise Opera runs performing arts workshops for those who have experience of, or are at risk of, homelessness, while The Hinge Centre supports those experiencing social and financial deprivation.