Asda has confirmed its financial support for CAP (Community Alcohol Partnerships) for 2025 which will be used to enhance the valuable work of the partnerships, especially in the North of England.
CAP sets up and supports local partnerships that aim to reduce alcohol harm in children and young people, improve their health and well-being, and enhance their communities.
Asda’s partnership with CAP began in 2009, and last year the business pledged £1million in funding over three years. This announcement marks the second portion of that funding commitment, and the money will help to increase the number of CAPs across the country as well as the scope and quality of the services they provide in local communities.
The initial funding provided in 2024 enabled CAP to achieve growth in the North of England, a key high harm region for underage drinking. This financial support has enabled CAP to undertake data and research analysis to help to provide evidence and greater understanding of the issue to raise awareness and understand how we tackle it.
The funding also directly supports positive activities for children and young people – stimulating uptake of CAPs and helping to achieve reductions in crime, anti-social behaviour and alcohol harm especially for those children most at risk in CAP communities.
In our stores, customers will continue to see point-of-sale signage throughout our beer wines and spirits aisles, which will direct customers to further guidance from the UK’s Chief Medical Officers and highlight the risks of underage alcohol supply.
Kris Comerford, Chief Commercial Officer at Asda, said: “We are proud of our ongoing support for CAP and to enable them to keep on providing real-world benefits to our communities. At Asda, we recognise the importance of ensuring a healthy, alcohol-free, childhood. And by building on the funding we supplied last year to CAP we will continue to enable the provision of vital support to at-risk groups in our communities.”
Kate Winstanley, Director of CAP, said: “We are absolutely delighted that Asda is continuing to support our Innovation Fund. This funding is crucial in enabling local CAPs to develop and deliver impactful projects that make a real difference to the lives of young people. Last year the Innovation Fund was four times oversubscribed which highlights just how important funding like this is.”
The Innovation Fund has already supported a diverse range of projects, each tailored to meet the unique needs of its community. These include:
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“My Drink. My Choice.” (Cardiff): This campaign encourages venues to offer more alcohol-free options, giving young adults fun nightlife choices without alcohol and challenging social norms. Its launch event, a “Drink and Draw” night (an art class in a bar) evening, was a huge success and garnered widespread media attention, highlighting the growing demand for alcohol-free activities.
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Silverdale School (North Tyneside): Funding has enabled this school for students with social, emotional, and mental health difficulties to create a café, providing valuable social and life skills, and to enhance their community garden, offering year-round opportunities for learning and growth.
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Edinburgh CAPs: Funding has supported a range of initiatives, including cookery classes led by local chefs (and showcased on TikTok), and the revitalisation of neglected underpasses, creating safer and more welcoming public spaces.
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Plymouth CAP: The Innovation Fund has empowered the creation of a Youth Committee, giving young people valuable experience in voluntary work and event planning, and has also supported cooking events and community art projects.
Beyond these examples, the Innovation Fund has also supported projects ranging from virtual reality experiences exploring the consequences of risky behaviours to rowing projects, holiday activity programmes, and mental health and wellbeing festivals.
