Established in 2019, the Sport for Good scheme, in partnership with children’s charity the Youth Sport Trust, aims to encourage and support young people to make the most of the physical and mental benefits of sport participation.

Over the last two years, Sport for Good has supported more than 80 sports clubs and schools across Northern Ireland and provided more than £220,000 in funding to encourage more young people into sport.

With 45 per cent of young people in Northern Ireland saying their mental health has worsened since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic*, this year’s Sport for Good campaign is focused on boosting young people’s social skills, self-esteem and body confidence through sports participation and supporting young people across the region with the roll out of a dedicated Mental Health Athlete Mentorship Programme.

Lidl Northern Ireland shoppers can nominate their local secondary school to win a place on the Mental Health Athlete Mentorship Programme by visiting their local Lidl store and making a purchase to receive a qualifying Lidl receipt containing a 10-digit code. Receipt codes must be submitted online along with the secondary school nomination for a chance to be in with winning. Entries can be made via the dedicated Sport for Good online entry form at lidl-ni.co.uk/lidl-community-works. The competition is open now until Sunday 28^th November.

Ambassador

Speaking at the launch of the 2021 Sport for Good campaign, programme ambassador Bethany Firth MBE said: “Sports participation is one of the best ways to improve physical and mental health and I’m honoured to be a Lidl Northern Ireland Sport for Good Ambassador for a third year running. Since the launch of this initiative I’ve seen how the programme has transformed the lives of many young people and the positive feedback received has been phenomenal.

“Having just competed at the Tokyo Olympics, and as a Paralympian, I know only too well how important it is to have a strong, healthy mindset which really helped drive me to winning two gold and two silver medals this year.

“I also realise how lucky I am to be surrounded by an excellent support system of teachers, coaches, family and friends who spur me on to reach my sporting goals. Not all young people have that same access or have the skills to be able to manage their mental health and that’s why this year’s Sport for Good campaign is more important than ever.

“I’m really proud to launch this initiative and partner with Lidl Northern Ireland who are actively reaching into the heart of communities, investing in young people and helping improve their health and wellbeing through sport.”

Mentorship

Representing an investment of over £100,000 this year’s programme gives 25 secondary schools across the region the opportunity to win a spot on Lidl Northern Ireland’s dedicated Mental Health Athlete Mentorship Programme plus £1,000 worth of sports equipment for their school.

Facilitated by a trained and qualified Mental Health Ambassador appointed by Youth Sport Trust, the UK’s leading sports charity supporting young people’s education and development through sport, the programme will take place over two sessions designed to help young people explore the positive effect of sports participation on their mental health, helping to drive the next generation of sporting legends and encourage more young people to reap the benefits of participating in sports.

Gordon Cruickshanks, Head of Sales Operations, for Lidl Northern Ireland said: “At Lidl Northern Ireland, we’re committed to supporting our local communities through our established Community Works initiative and Sport for Good is our flagship programme to reach and support young people across the region.

“The pandemic has undoubtedly had a significant impact on the mental health of our young people and this year we aim to tackle mental health head on. We’re delighted to partner with Youth Sport Trust for the first time to deliver a bespoke Mental Health Athlete Programme, designed specifically for secondary school pupils to provide practical advice and techniques to improve mental health through sport.

“We’re thrilled to welcome back three of our sporting heroes, Bethany, Rhys and Ciara, who have all had great success over the past year. They are an inspiration, and we have no doubt that they will motivate more young people into sport and encourage those already engaged in sport to achieve their sporting goals.”

Jenny Rouse, Head of Business Development & Fundraising, Youth Sport Trust said: “Empowering young people through sport is the lifeblood of our charity and we are delighted to partner with Lidl Northern Ireland on the Sport for Good 2021 programme. Sport gives young people a platform to have their voices heard and a sense of belonging, and it is our mission to harness this power to help them build a brighter future.”

Caption: Head of Sales Operations at Lidl Northern Ireland, Gordon Cruikshanks with Sport for Good Ambassadors, Olympic gymnast, Rhys McClenaghan and Paralympic swimmer, Bethany Firth.

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Tickets went on sale in all 41 Lidl Northern Ireland stores across the region on Saturday 13^th November for two weeks only, with one lucky customer chosen per store to participate in the annual Trolley Dash. Winners will be challenged to take part in a ‘Supermarket Sweep’ style dash around their local store to collect as much Christmas shopping as they possibly can in just two minutes.

With 100% of the proceeds from the ticket sales donated to Lidl Northern Ireland’s charity partner, NSPCC Northern Ireland, Trolley Dash is the retailer’s flagship charity fundraising event.

Now in its seventh year, the hugely popular fundraising initiative is set to be the biggest year yet according to Lidl Northern Ireland’s Head of Sales Operations, Gordon Cruikshanks.

“With 100% of ticket sales going directly to charity partner NSPCC Northern Ireland, Trolley Dash is our flagship charity fundraising event, raising around £100,000 each year and providing a major boost to NSPCC at a critical time of the year,” he said.

“It’s also the event that we as a team look forward to most as shoppers try to snap up all their favourite festive food in a frantic two-minute dash around the store.

“Christmas can be a difficult time for many and we are proud to not only support NSPCC Northern Ireland, but also to gift Christmas shopping to 41 families across the region and helping to lighten the load at this time of year when money can be tight. We’re anticipating a big interest in Trolley Dash this year so I would encourage everyone to purchase a ticket in their local Lidl store to be in with a chance of winning. Good luck to all entrants!”

In a partnership spanning four years, Lidl Northern Ireland has raised over £500,000 for NSPCC Northern Ireland, whose mission is to fight for every childhood, delivering services for children and operating Childline bases in Belfast and Foyle.  NSPCC Northern Ireland supports children across the region and works to prevent abuse, help rebuild children’s lives and support families.

Trolley Dash tickets will be available to purchase for just £1 in all 41 Lidl Northern Ireland stores across the region until Sunday 28^th November.

In previous years, the total of the goods won in the dashes has been well in the hundreds with customers carefully planning out their route to maximise their winnings. Customers may purchase as many tickets as they like in support of NSPCC Northern Ireland and to be in with a greater chance of winning.

Trolley dash

Joanne McMaster, Supporter Fundraising Manager, NSPCC Northern Ireland said: “NSPCC is delighted to be part of the Trolley Dash again this year. Over the years we’ve seen the benefits of donations made by the exceptionally generous Lidl Northern Ireland customers at a time of year when funds are greatly needed.

“Christmas can be an incredibly difficult time of year for children who are suffering abuse and neglect and being at home for a long stretch can be a nightmare for them. Our Childline service is there 7 days a week, 24 hours a day and even on Christmas Day, staffed by our keyworker counsellors and supervisors.

“When a young person needs help, Childline can be a lifeline so when a child feels like they have nowhere else to turn, it’s vital that we’re here, ready to listen. The funds raised by Lidl Northern Ireland really do help enormously to make this possible.”

All 41 winners will be contacted on Wednesday 1st December and invited to take part in the Lidl Trolley Dash at their local Lidl store on Saturday 11^th December at 7:45am, before store opening. This gives the participants a clean run at the aisles to grab as many items on their Christmas shopping list as they can.

For more information about how to get involved and for competition terms and conditions, please visit lidl-ni.co.uk/trolleydash

Photo caption: Pictured celebrating the launch are (L-R) Gordon Cruikshanks, Head of Sales Operations at Lidl Northern Ireland, Joanne McMaster, Supporter Fundraising Manager at NSPCC Northern Ireland and Freya and Miya McGovern.

The post Shoppers set to bag their Christmas shop for just £1 with Lidl Northern Ireland’s charity Trolley Dash first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

With a decade of in-store experience Gordon knew the Lidl sales model well – great produce at prices cheaper than any rivals –  but in 2016 the opportunity came to take the next big career step.

“One of the best things about working for Lidl Northern Ireland is the training and development opportunities and I was fortunate to get the opportunity to explore another side of the business working in the facilities team in 2016,” he said.

“An opportunity then came up to step into an executive role in the largest region in the Republic, where I was one of two sales operations executives. In November last year I had the opportunity to return home and take up the sales executive role in Nutts Corner.”

Expansion

In a little over 20 years Lidl has grown from one to 171 stores in the Republic and 41 in Northern Ireland, the most recent of which opened at Hillview Retail Park on the Crumlin Road in July this year.

Having witnessed much of that expansion Gordon is in no doubt about the secret behind the brand’s success.

“We have always strived to offer customers the best quality products at the lowest possible price – and we have stuck to that promise,” he explained.

“Efficiency and simplicity is in our company DNA. We don’t stock four different types of digestive biscuit – we find the best quality product for the customer and make sure we can deliver it at a price cheaper than any competitors.

And in an age when online ordering is being blamed for killing the high street, Gordon is proud of Lidl’s continuing physical growth and the fact its success has bolstered other businesses around it.

“We very much see ourselves as a bricks and mortar retailer,” he told Neighbourhood Retailer.

“We know there is continuing demand for new stores to open based on the exceptionally positive feedback from recent announcements regarding plans for additional stores in the greater Belfast area and the Northwest. Lidl is consistently confirmed as ‘NI’s fastest-growing supermarket’ with latest Kantar figures confirming 12.2% year-on-year sales growth in 2021.

“Our sustained growth is testament to the continued development of our range and the addition of more than 300 products to our everyday offering in store over the past year.

“Local community and citizenship are hugely important to Lidl Northern Ireland and we’re proud to say that Lidl Northern Ireland spends £290m each year sourcing quality products from Northern Irish suppliers and we will continue to invest in our network of more than 50 local suppliers.”

For the full interview with Gordon, click HERE.

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