Dunelm and Age UK smash £2 million fundraising milestone - one year early

Age UK’s flagship partnership with Dunelm has raised an incredible £2 million in just over two years, helping to support older people most in need. Together the partnership is creating communities that feel like home by tackling loneliness and providing vital practical support both over the phone and in local communities across the UK.

Over the past two years, Dunelm customers and colleagues have raised money through customer donations, office-led fundraising efforts and in-store initiatives, including a generous 5p donation from every hot drink sale in Dunelm Pausa cafes and other product-linked donations, which have collectively raised over £852,000.  

Dunelm colleagues have embraced a wide range of fundraising initiatives, with thousands taking part in activities from skydives to in-store Zumba sessions, raising £120,000 in 2025. Colleagues also took on Age UK’s Fundraise Your Age challenge, raising the total of their combined ages in each store, and generating over £30,000 in a single week, making it Dunelm’s most successful colleague-led fundraiser ever.

Customers have also shown their support through initiatives like Dunelm’s Delivering Joy* campaign, which saw more than 6,500 gifts delivered to older people by local Age UKs and raised over £30,000 in donations last Christmas.

These vital funds support Age UK’s free national Advice Line and its Telephone Friendship Service, as well as helping local Age UKs to provide frontline support in communities. Through the partnership, more than 1,350 older people have received advice, helping to identify £5.2 million in unclaimed benefits. The funding also includes a community fund that gives every local Age UK a share to help connect older people in their area and create communities that feel like home.

Paul Farmer, CEO at Age UK, said:

“On behalf of everyone at Age UK, I want to share my heartfelt thanks to every Dunelm colleague and customer for their support in raising an incredible £2 million for Age UK. This money has had a direct impact on older people who may be struggling financially and have nowhere else to turn. While we’re incredibly grateful for everything raised so far, we know there is still much more to do to ensure older people get the support they need. Partnerships like this show the real impact charities and businesses can have when they work together locally and nationally.

“Working with Dunelm has been instrumental in supporting Age UK’s work in helping older people in their homes and communities, ensuring that they feel secure and safe. Home doesn’t feel like home when you can’t afford to put food in the fridge, put the heating on, or when you feel lonely. The money being raised by Dunelm means we can deliver advice, friendship and frontline support to those that need it the most.” 

Clo Moriarty, CEO at Dunelm, added: 

“Reaching £2 million through our partnership with Age UK is a remarkable milestone. It's testament to both the passion and commitment of our colleagues right across the business in their fundraising efforts, and the enormous generosity of our customers.

"We exist to help create the joy of truly feeling at home, yet we know that’s not the reality for many older people across the UK. This partnership is helping to change that, and we’re determined to build on this milestone and make an even bigger difference.”

For more information about the Dunelm partnership visit www.ageuk.org.uk/dunelm.

-ENDS-

Notes To Editors:

* The Delivering Joy campaign works by customers fulfilling gift requests from the local community, with stores also having Christmas trees decorated with donation baubles containing barcodes that enabled shoppers to donate directly at the till to Age UK.