Pink Lady® apples has released special LGBT+ Pride packs, supporting anti-abuse service Galop and offering a chance to win a glamping weekend at the new Out & Wild festival.
Over 200,000 limited edition packs of delicious Pink Lady® apples will be available only in Co-Op stores across the UK over the next four weeks. All packs will proudly display the Progress Pride flag and include details of an exclusive prize draw.
The packs reaffirm Pink Lady® as a long-term ally of the LGBT+ community, engaging in a meaningful and authentic way. Working alongside Pink Lady® is licensee and produce supplier, Total WorldFresh, who have been a long-term advocate for inclusivity, diversity, and equality, working with Pink Lady® on all previous Pride activations.
The on-pack stickers promote Galop, the charity for LGBT+ victims of domestic abuse, hate crime, sexual violence, and so-called conversion therapy. Pink Lady® will also give a donation, making sure their helplines can answer more calls.
Meanwhile, the packs offer a chance to win a VIP glamping weekend at new festival Out & Wild. The wellness festival is designed for women and those that are non-binary, but open to all. It will take place in Pembrokeshire from 10 to 13 June 2022.
Pink Lady® UK PR and Social Manager, Kyla Flynn, said: “We are once again proud to be working with companies and charities within the LGBT+ community. Pink Lady® apples are loved by so many across the UK, anything we can do to help raise awareness and support members of the community who are making such a difference means a lot to all the Pink Lady® family.”
The support from Pink Lady® comes at a vital time for Galop and the thousands of people it helps.
During lockdown, domestic abuse escalated, with few suitable places for LGBT+ people to go to escape. Young people living with hostile families, unable to hide who they are in lockdown, saw violent reactions to their identities being discovered.
Sadly, anti-LGBT+ hate crime has also increased during COVID-19, with some people blaming LGBT+ people for the pandemic itself. Social distancing made same-sex households easier to identify in public, which led to attacks, and hostile neighbours escalated their abuse during lockdown.
Leni Morris, CEO of Galop, said: “Brands and businesses have such a huge reach – and we can achieve so much when the power of those voices are used to support LGBT+ rights and communities, who still face such huge barriers and struggles even in the UK today.
“Businesses committing to making real change for the community is the most important part of doing that meaningfully. That’s why we’re so pleased to be working with Pink Lady® on this campaign to protect some of the most vulnerable members of our community.
“We’ve had some massive wins for LGBT+ rights in the last few decades, but it still isn’t safe to be LGBT+ in the UK today. Anti-LGBT+ hate crime has been rising at double the rate of other forms of hate crime for the last two years.
“LGBT+ victims of domestic abuse and sexual violence have too few places to go to for support. Conversion therapy has not yet been banned, leaving LGBT+ survivors of these practices with life-long trauma.
“We know LGBT+ people experiencing abuse often struggle to know where to turn, and the most important thing to me is getting the word out so the people who need us can find us.
“Knowing Pink Lady® packs are going out around the country, letting people know that we’re here as a safe place to come for support, is incredible. And this is such a clever way to empower victims of abuse – they don’t need to worry about their Google history, the information is right there in their shopping basket.”
Meanwhile the pack offers the chance to win a VIP glamping weekend at Out & Wild.
The new festival is aimed women and non-binary people, many of who feel left out of LGBT+ events.
Out & Wild will take place in Lawrenny, Pembrokeshire, Wales for three days and nights from 10 to 13 June 2022. Organisers expect to attract festival goers from across the UK.
The theme of Out & Wild will be Explore, Experience and Embrace. There will be more than 100 activities over three days and nights spanning music, comedy, wellness, pampering, tasters of sport, wild swimming, workshops, spoken word, guided walks, hikes and runs.
Polly Shute, co-founder of Out and About LGBTQ, the festival organiser, says: “This innovative, new festival is the first to be based on what women and non-binary people in our community actually say they want.
“The LGBTQIA market is growing, but queer women and those who are non-binary are often overlooked when it comes to brands.
“Research by Universal McCann in 2019 highlighted the appetite for greater visibility for queer women, especially in the media. Outvertising, the LGBTQ+ advertising and marketing advocacy group sent out an open letter in August, asking media and creative companies to address the lack of representation in advertising.
“Recent brand campaigns that have featured LGBTQIA women have gained great media coverage and strong brand sentiment, highlight how positive focusing on this audience can be.
“Out & Wild are already engaging with progressive partners like Pink Lady®, but welcome approaches from other brands who want to authentically show their support and engage with this growing market.”
You can find out more about Galop’s work at www.galop.org.uk. Meanwhile, if you need help, you can call the National LGBT+ Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0800 999 5428 or the LGBT+ Hate Crime Helpline on 020 7704 2040.