Donations - Neighbourhood Retailer

SuperValu and Centra launch life-saving mammogram campaign

Linda Stewart — Tue, 04 Oct 2022 14:08:22 +0000

Leading food convenience retailers SuperValu and Centra are launching a new initiative to support their long-term charity partner Action Cancer, by encouraging shoppers to help sponsor a mammogram.

Each SuperValu and Centra store is aiming to raise at least £120, which is how much it costs Action Cancer to provide one free mammogram to women in Northern Ireland. Last year, the service provided 1,950 breast screenings to women aged 40-49 and over 70 years – outside of NHS screening age.

From Monday 10th to Friday 14^th October, staff at SuperValu and Centra stores across Northern Ireland will be armed with buckets collecting donations to raise funds for this life-saving service. Customers will also be able to donate at the tills using cash or card.

Desi Derby, Director of Marketing for SuperValu and Centra, said: “We have a long-standing partnership with Action Cancer and our amazing retailers, colleagues and customers have raised £3.5m to date to keep the Big Bus on the road. We’re proud to launch this new initiative and would encourage our customers to support this worthwhile cause in our stores and help save the life of a mum, granny, daughter, aunt, wife or friend.

“Our marketing campaign features 16 local women who have benefited from Action Cancer breast screening service, a testament to the importance of this vital service and the need for continued fundraising.”

Corporate Fundraising Manager for Action Cancer, Lucy McCusker, added: “We’re delighted to continue our partnership with SuperValu and Centra with the launch of this new initiative.

“Our breast screening service detects approximately six cancers in every 1,000 women screened, and with the support of our partners SuperValu and Centra, we can continue to provide these life-saving screenings. Each mammogram, while free to the client, costs Action Cancer £120, so every penny raised could help save the life of a woman close to you.”

Bridie Treanor from Roslea in County Fermanagh, and a mum to six children and granny to four grandchildren, attended Action Cancer’s Big Bus for a breast screening when it visited SuperValu Newtownbutler in 2019. As Bridie was outside the age bracket for NHS screening, it was this appointment that detected her cancer. Bridie underwent successful surgery and treatment and is now cancer free.

Bridie said: “I am so thankful to Action Cancer’s Big Bus for saving my life and I can look forward to celebrating future birthdays and watching my family grow up. I never would have travelled all the way up to Belfast to attend a routine screening so I’m grateful that women like me can access this vital service in their own communities. Please support this wonderful charity in whatever way you can.”

Caption: Bridie Treanor from Roslea in County Fermanagh with her daughter Joanne.

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Supermarket push to cut waste hits food bank donations

Linda Stewart — Tue, 04 Oct 2022 09:24:06 +0000

Food waste charity Fareshare says it has seen a drop of around 200 tonnes in supermarket surplus donations every month this summer.

The charity said the reduction had come at the same time as demand for the services they support surged.

Fareshare redistributes food waste to smaller charitable and community projects across the UK.

It said there was less waste food due to a combination of ongoing global food production and supply chain issues.

At the same time, supermarkets are striving to be more efficient and waste less, in order to keep prices for their customers low.

Carl Hawkes, head of network at the charity, explained that donations from supermarket warehouses were particularly valuable.

“If you’re a community group trying to make a meal, out of say, beetroot, that’s really hard,” he said.

“Whereas the retail food is very mixed. It’s much easier for our charities and beneficiaries to make meals out of what they send.”

The charity is at pains to explain they have no problem with supermarkets wasting less – but it poses a challenge for them to continue to support so many charities that depend on waste food.

“Supermarkets at the moment are more willing to sell wonky fruit and veg than they may previously have done, or to sell food with slightly less shelf life on it – and that food would have traditionally have come to us,” he explained.

As well as writing to supermarkets, the charity is casting its net wider, looking into food waste opportunities from British farming and working with a more diverse mix of smaller food manufacturers, hotels and restaurants.

One is Fullers, which makes frozen chips and vegetable products that most major retailers stock under its own brand.

The business has started donating spare stock from its warehouses, as well as the prototype and test food from head office to Fareshare.

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EUROSPAR Newcastle celebrates first birthday, raising £730 for charity

Linda Stewart — Thu, 11 Aug 2022 12:46:07 +0000

EUROSPAR Newcastle celebrated its first birthday last month, raising an amazing £730 for Cancer Fund for Children.

The store held a birthday party in July to celebrate this milestone along with their shoppers.

Young customers enjoyed the party with a face painter, balloon modeler and a tombola. They were also greeted by some familiar faces including Disney princess Belle, and Chase and Marshall from Paw Patrol.

The day was a great success for both the shoppers and the staff, marking a great first year of the Newcastle store and raising vital funds for Cancer Fund for Children.

The money raised for CFFC will be used for Daisy Lodge, a therapeutic centre in Newcastle for families affected by cancer. Daisy Lodge allows families to have a short break, spending quality time together and allowing them to enjoy relaxation in a supportive environment.

Daniel Likunguala, EUROSPAR Newcastle’s Assistant Manager said: “It was great to be able to celebrate the first birthday of our store with the whole team and our shoppers.

“The work that Cancer Fund for Children do is amazing and Daisy Lodge is an essential part of many families lives who are affected by cancer here in Northern Ireland, so it is really important to us as a local store to be able to show our support.”

Caption: Daniel Likunguala, EUROSPAR Newcastle’s Assistant Manager and Liz Burns, a Customer Advisor at the store.

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Customers of MACE Lurgan raise £10,000 for NICHS

Linda Stewart — Wed, 10 Aug 2022 08:24:56 +0000

MACE customers in Lurgan have helped raise a staggering £10,000 for Northern Ireland Chest Heart and Stroke (NICHS).

The symbol group began working with the charity in 2016 and donations from customers at MACE Victoria Street Lurgan have helped the store become the first in the retail franchise to reach this impressive fundraising milestone.

Store owner Anthony McDonald says: “I am incredibly proud of our customers who have been so supportive since we started fundraising for NICHS.

“The fact it is a local charity that works with local people is very important to them and they appreciate the work NICHS does in the Lurgan area. I would like to thank everyone who has given so generously over the past six years.”

Jackie Trainor, Director of Income Generation at Northern Ireland Chest Heart and Stroke adds: “We are so grateful for the ongoing generosity of MACE Victoria Street Lurgan customers. We deliver ten care services and programmes within the Lurgan area which include everything from post rehabilitation physical activity programmes and wellness sessions, to connecting people in similar situations and providing practical information and advice on living with a chest, heart or stroke illness.

“The support of MACE Victoria Street Lurgan customers over the years has meant local people have received the support and care that they deserve. We also provide health promotion programmes for local workplaces, schools, community organisations and groups as part of our ongoing commitment to preventing chest, heart and stroke conditions.

“We would like to say a huge thank you to all MACE Victoria Street Lurgan customers for raising this fantastic sum of money as nearly 90% of our care and prevention services and research projects are funded exclusively by donations from the public.

“The generosity shown by MACE Victoria Street Lurgan customers is vital to the work we do, and this money will go a long way in helping support local people living with chest, heart and stroke conditions and their families.”

Caption: Mary Cassidy, Assistant Brand Manager- MACE, Anthony McDonald, MACE Victoria Street Lurgan store owner and Jackie Trainor, Director of Income Generation, NICHS.

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Musgrave NI walks the distance to raise over £14k for charity

Linda Stewart — Fri, 05 Aug 2022 09:07:01 +0000

Musgrave NI employees have raised £14,236 for their charity partners after embarking on a challenge to walk 800km per team.

Musgrave, which owns or operates the SuperValu, Centra and Mace convenience retail brands in NI, as well as Musgrave MarketPlace and Drinks Inc wholesale brands, saw over 300 colleagues put on their walking shoes and travel a combined distance of 20,000 km.

The challenge aimed to raise vital funds for Musgrave’s long-term charity partners Action Cancer and Northern Ireland Chest Heart and Stroke, as well as improve health and wellbeing.

Kathy Simpson, Head of HR Business Partnership said: “One Step at a Time was a fantastic initiative which not only encouraged colleagues to get active and improve health and wellbeing, but also to raise money for two very worthwhile causes. Supporting our charity partners, particularly during these uncertain times when they really need our help, is very important to us so we are delighted to have raised these funds.”

Lucy McCusker, Action Cancer Corporate Fundraising Manager, said: “We’d like to thank SuperValu and Centra for their continued support which helps us provide our vital prevention and life-saving services onboard our mobile clinic the Big Bus. Last year almost 3,000 local people availed of a critical health check or mammogram for the detection of breast cancer on the Big Bus, and the funds that continue to be raised make a crucial contribution to the lives of so many people in Northern Ireland.”

Northern Ireland Chest Heart and Stroke Corporate Fundraiser, Steph Ellis, added: “We are so grateful for the ongoing generosity of Musgrave Marketplace and Mace, their staff and customers who, over the years, have ensured that thousands of people affected by chest, heart or stroke related illnesses have received the support and care that they deserve.

“Currently, more than 335,000 people across Northern Ireland are living with chest, heart or stroke conditions – that’s almost 1 in 5 of us. 90% of our care and prevention services and research projects are funded exclusively by donations. The funds raised by Musgrave Marketplace, Mace and Drinks Inc through the One Step at a Time campaign will help us continue to deliver life-changing programmes and support local people affected by chest, heart and stroke illnesses to rebuild their lives.”

Caption: Musgrave Group Head of HR Business Partnership Kathy Simpson (right), and HR Business Partner Demi Ledley (left) are joined by NICHS Corporate Fundraiser Steph Ellis (second left) and Action Cancer Corporate Fundraiser Lucy McCusker

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