It is calling on organisations who support children in poverty in the North West to put forward their digital ideas and will offer a combination of fundraising and technical expertise. Tony McDonough reports

Speke-based online retailer Shop Direct is staying true to its roots by seeking to help a charity helping children in poverty with a digital project worth up to £600,000.

Shop Direct was formerly the Littlewoods catalogue empire and founder Sir John Moores was a renowned Merseyside philanthropist.

Now, through its online brands Very.co.uk, Littlewoods.com and VeryExclusive.co.uk, the company generates revenues of £2bn a year.

It is calling on organisations who support children in poverty in the North West to put forward their £600,000 digital ideas to become its next charity partner.

The partnership will see the online retailer’s 4,700-strong team throw its collective weight behind a single charitable project, offering a combination of fundraising and technical expertise to make the greatest difference and leave a legacy in the community.

The company is looking for charities that support children living in poverty in the North West and have a project to fund with digital at its core, in line with Shop Direct’s expertise.

Charities that apply by July 27 will be whittled down to three, before everyone at Shop Direct votes for the final digital project, with fundraising towards the £600,000 target kicking off in October 2017.

To date, Shop Direct has raised £250,000 to support Alder Hey Children’s Hospital to fund the creation and development of a world-first digital app.

Later this year, the company will also reach its fundraising target of £400,000 to enable Claire House Children’s Hospice to get its new, digitally-equipped Liverpool hospice off the ground.

Jacqui Humphries, group people director at Shop Direct, said: “Our people told us they care massively about helping children in poverty. That’s why we’re calling on local charities with this aim to get in touch with their big digital ideas.”

Charities interested in applying for the partnership can click here for more information.