Formula For Change
Metro
Our mission was simple: to increase access to first stage formula for families in need and for the government to allow retailers to accept store gift cards, loyalty points, and food bank vouchers as payment for formula.
The reason was also simple: the UK is in a formula crisis. Between December 2021- 2023, prices increased by 18–36%, while the cost of feeding a 10-week-old baby on first stage formula came in at £44-£89 per month. Meanwhile in January this year, a Food Foundation survey of 500 mothers with children under 18 months, revealed that over a quarter said they struggled to afford formula.
Prior to our campaign Metro worked with Feed - an organisation that provides unbiased, science-based information on infant feeding - to report on the extremes parents were being forced into, just so they could keep their babies fed. Watering down formula, stealing from supermarket shelves and skipping their own meals, were just some of the examples we shared with our readers.
And the need for our campaign was clear. By November 14, we had received 50,000 signatures on our government petition. Four months later we had hit the 100,000 needed to take it to Downing Street.
Between 1 November-31 October, we published over 30 articles to engage with our 5 million+ print and online audience, and Formula For Change garnered support from across the board. Well known names such as LadBaby, Michelle Heaton, Ashley James and Katherine Ryan publicly backed us, while parenting website Mumsnet also threw their weight behind the campaign.
Politicians, Monica Lennon and Preet Kaur Gill stood by our side from the off, and Wes Streeting gave Metro an exclusive interview announcing that Keir Starmer and the Labour party also supported Formula For Change.
On the High Street, Richard Walker, CEO of Iceland, became a campaign partner and the first high street retailer to break the ‘rules’ and lower prices of baby formula, which marked another huge win for our campaign. Other retailers, including Tesco, Aldi and Morrisons, followed suit.
While the general election put pause to our Downing Street visit, Metro and Feed continue to amplify our campaign message, most recently with the help of MP Chris Webb, who recently brought it up in the House of Lords.
In response, MP Stephen Kinnock made it clear after years of confusing guidelines as highlighted by our campaign, that supermarkets should make their own decisions regarding how customers pay for formula.
While it was yet another victory for Formula For Change - which also won the publicly-voted Making A Difference Award for outstanding efforts in driving change at the end of last year - there’s still plenty more we plan to achieve in 2025, as we want to make sure every family in the UK is able to access affordable baby formula.