£20,000 will this year be split between 20 organisations, charities and community groups, selected from applications, which are open now.

It is the fifth year the initiative has been available to organisations across Northern Ireland, after SPAR NI introduced the grants in 2020 when community groups and charities felt the huge hit of lockdown. It was rolled out across the UK from 2022.

Last year, a £10,000 grant was awarded to Air Ambulance NI which enabled the charity to keep the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) in the sky for an additional two days per year, while £5,000 was received by SOS Bus NI, which was put towards upgrading their first aid bus, ensuring medical equipment and provisions are adequate for all needs.

Three further organisations received a £1,000 grant each: Street Soccer NI in Coleraine, Heartbeat NI based in Newry and Pretty ‘n Pink, which has offices and information points in both Belfast and Portadown.

Bronagh Luke, Head of Corporate Marketing at Henderson Group which owns SPAR NI said they’re thrilled to be able to reach even more organisations this year.

“Where for the past five years we’ve had five recipients per year, the rise in applications year on year has shown there is a need for many more organisations to benefit from the Community Cashback Grant, which we’re delighted to be able to do this year.

“Each applicant is making a difference in their local community or providing a vital service that could even be lifesaving for all in Northern Ireland. This is a unique opportunity for organisations of all sizes to get involved and get a much-needed injection of funds.

“There are over 300 SPAR stores in Northern Ireland, each dedicated to supporting their local charities and community groups, with our store teams going beyond their work in-store to engage with their local communities and nurturing their neighbourhoods.”

The Community Cashback Grant is open for applications until Wednesday 22^nd May 2024. All information can be found via spar-ni.co.uk/community/community-cashback-grant

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The store was one of 19 national award-winners on the night, taking home the gong for Multiple Managed Convenience Store of the Year thanks to their focus on customer services driving sales for the store.

Judges noted the store’s commitment to shopper loyalty, noting it was “driven by a strong grocery offering and in-store services options to keep shoppers coming back”, which resulted in a 19% year-on-year increase in weekly store sales.

Mark McCammond, Retail Director at Henderson Group which operates the store said the win puts Henderson Retail as one of the top convenience operators in the UK.

“SPAR Malone is a store which services several categories of shoppers, from residents to students, meaning we have the freshest products available for tonight’s tea alongside an outstanding offering of hot and cold food to go,” said Mark.

“The store represents what we are achieving in our outlets across Northern Ireland under the SPAR and EUROSPAR brands, bringing a competitive convenience offering complemented by services and facilities that improve the shopping experience, from the installation of self-checkouts to improving the range of fresh and convenient brands and products available in-store, alongside an upgraded Barista Bar coffee to go experience.

‘The store is clearly much more than a convenience store with the feeling of a community neighbourhood retailer’

“We are delighted to bring home the award, our colleagues in SPAR Malone are the driving factor of the store’s brilliant financial performance and without the fantastic team spirit, drive and determination seen in store daily, such success would not be possible.”

The finalists in the Multiple Managed Convenience Store of the Year included stores from Kent and Lancashire, plus EUROSPAR Ashbury in Bangor, Co. Down.

Aidan Fortune, Editor of Convenience Store added: “Congratulations to Henderson Retail and all the team at SPAR Malone. The store is clearly much more than a convenience store with the feeling of a community neighbourhood retailer, and SPAR Malone is a one stop shop for everything a customer may need.

“Our judges were impressed by the operator’s attention towards catering for a wide variety of needs, while also keeping shoppers at the forefront of change with their ‘tell us first’ initiative, allowing management to evolve quickly towards shopper needs, helping to create a more positive and welcoming shopper experience.”

Mr Fortune added: “This year’s Convenience Award winners demonstrated that the industry continues to raise the bar in delivering exceptional experiences for customers. Their success is not only a recognition of their hard work, but also a testament to their unwavering dedication to staying at the forefront of the industry.”

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Connolly’s SPAR currently employs 20 staff from the local community, and Henderson Retail, which will operate the new EUROSPAR Downpatrick set to open at the end of April, has announced that 17 of these staff will move to the new superstore, as well as an additional 50 new jobs being created.

Connolly’s SPAR will close on Thursday 18^th April.

Martin and Fiona took over the store in 1997, and over the years have made major investments including two significant refurbishments, the biggest in 2006, to bring top quality products and services to the community.

Alongside their store staff, the couple has always had the community at the centre of their store, often supporting local schools including Our Lady and St Patrick’s College, St Mary’s and De La Salle High School. The store team also fundraised for local charities and supported local community groups and organisations, such as Fountain Foodbank.

‘We want to extend a huge thanks to our shoppers for supporting us over the past 27 years’

“We want to thank all our staff, past and present, for their hard work and dedication over the years, and helping the store become such a big part of the local community,” said Fiona.

“We also want to extend a huge thanks to our shoppers for supporting us over the past 27 years. We have loved serving this community and it has been a pleasure to see friendly faces instore every day and get to know everyone so well. We will miss working in the Downpatrick community and wish all our staff the best of luck with their move to the brand-new store.”

Paddy Doody, Sales and Marketing Director at Henderson Group, added: “Fiona and Martin Connolly are dedicated retailers and we wish to congratulate them on a successful 27 years of Connolly’s SPAR.

“They are much-loved by the local community and passionate about their shoppers, supporting charities and local schools in Downpatrick. They will be greatly missed by all in the local community.”

The instore Community Team will be dedicated to making a positive difference throughout the Downpatrick community and the store will continue to support various local charities and community groups.

The new store will also bring a huge supermarket offering including a hot food-to-go counter serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, Devlin’s local butcher counter and a Texaco fuel site. Fresh Delish favourites will be available for shoppers with the Delish Bakery offering freshly baked goods every day, and the Delish production Kitchen where meals will be prepared in store, as well as everyday essentials and a focus on value for shoppers.

Fiona and Martin also own and run Connolly’s ViVO Essentials in Strangford, which they will be continuing to operate, alongside their son Aidan.

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Throughout 2023, 14 SPAR, EUROSPAR and ViVO retailers in Northern Ireland celebrated milestone partnership anniversaries with Henderson Group. The total came to over 500 years of retailing experience and commitment to serving their communities.

While some of our retail partners have been proud to display our brands above their doors for 50 years, many have been serving their local communities for even longer, through family businesses which have a passion for retail and locality. It’s incredible to look back at the evolution of their stores throughout the years, which are examples of how we as an industry must keep on moving – something more important in 2023 than ever.

2023 saw the completion of 109 retail projects across our company-owned and independent estate marking an investment of £49.7million. This included landmark store openings from the state-of-the-art EUROSPAR fresh foods superstore in Killyleagh, to extensions and renovations at some of Henderson’s busiest company-owned stores to update and introduce butchery and bakery, production kitchens and the popular Delish deli offering.

Henderson Wholesale continued to partner with independent retailers to build stores which deliver to the demands of that town and community, with Mulgrew’s EUROSPAR in Carryduff, SPAR Coopers Mill and SPAR Kesh standing out as significant new builds.

It means that throughout 2023, an incredible 59,940 sq. ft. of additional retail space was built by the Group and its partners to cater for Northern Ireland shoppers.

FUTUREPROOFING THE BUSINESS

Everything we do is with our retailers and shoppers in mind. We source 75% of our fresh produce from local farmers and suppliers, we invest heavily in deals and campaigns throughout the year, and we look to the future to ensure we are working sustainably so that we remain a robust business for our retail partners.

That futureproofing took a huge step forward in 2023 with the switching on of 1,494 solar panels which cover 75% of Henderson Wholesale’s fresh foods warehouse at the business’s headquarters in Mallusk. And at the end of the year, Henderson Retail announced a contract with bp pulse, which will see the installation of a new network of ultra-fast and rapid electric vehicle charging points throughout their 100+ SPAR and EUROSPAR sites.

Many of our independent partners are also leading the sustainability charge. Last year saw Maxol reveal the second of their Ultra Rapid EV Charging Hubs at their £2.4m Braid River SPAR in Ballymena, an impressive partnership investment that we strive for with our retailers.

When it comes to plans for 2024, the Group remains consistent with their intentions. We have always said we will channel profits back into the business and that is what we do year-on-year. We currently have significant investments planned for around 70 retail projects lined up for 2024 throughout our company owned, partnership and independent store network, including an exciting new build from the Knox family, a Nisa retailer who converted all three of their stores to SPAR in 2023.

Our business and our retail partners have stores in every neighbourhood in Northern Ireland, they are run by local people and employ local people. They get deliveries daily from local farmers, so money spent in those stores goes into that all-important circular economy here in NI.

TO READ MARTIN AGNEW’S INDUSTRY COMMENT IN THE 2024 NEIGHBOURHOOD RETAILER YEARBOOK AND MARKETING GUIDE, CLICK HERE

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For every bunch of daffodils purchased in SPAR stores from 19^th February until 31^st March, 10p will be donated to Marie Curie.

Marie Curie provides vital end-of-life care to thousands of people across Northern Ireland, and with the help of SPAR NI, the Great Daffodil Appeal is a chance to give back and show appreciation to the charity.

A year of fundraising in 2023, resulted in a donation total of over £142,000, thanks to store staff and shoppers’ support. SPAR NI has partnered with Marie Curie for the past seven years and through a number of fundraising events and annual initiatives has raised a total of over £840,000 for the charity.

Daffodils in March are a timely reminder of what Marie Curie’s iconic floral symbol means to many who not only rely on the care provided by the charity, but to those who volunteer and work for Marie Curie too.

SHOW APPRECIATION

Ryan Hand, television and radio presenter, is a new Marie Curie ambassador. He has been a dedicated supporter of the charity since his mother Pauline died from cancer in 2008. After fundraising £16,000 and raising awareness of the charity, he will be running his sixth marathon, the London Marathon, for Marie Curie later this year.

“Marie Curie is one of those vital health services you don’t necessarily know a lot about until one of your relatives or a close friend is facing terminal illness,” said Ryan.

“Myself and my wider family really needed them when my mother, aunt and cousin all died from cancer and are eternally grateful for their care.”

Laura Thompson, Corporate Marketing Manager at Henderson Group which owns SPAR in Northern Ireland said: “The Great Daffodil Appeal makes it even easier for our shoppers to show their support when in store. It enables us to show our appreciation and raise awareness of the charity, the nurses and the amazing work they do for people across the country when they need them most.

“We are committed towards continuing our support for Marie Curie and the unrivalled care and compassion they provide. Whatever the illness, Marie Curie are with patients, and their family and friends, to the end.”

During the Great Daffodil Appeal, on Sunday 3^rd March, Marie Curie is holding the fourth annual Day of Reflection, encouraging people to come together to remember loved ones who died during the pandemic and to arrange a reflective activity or event, or to take part in a minutes’ silence to show support to the people who are grieving.

‘The Great Daffodil Appeal makes it even easier for our shoppers to show their support when in store’

Grandmother Roberta McKittrick from Dundonald died at Marie Curie’s Hospice last May at the age of 75. Before she died, she spoke about the care she received and said: “The care at Marie Curie is just indescribable. Money couldn’t pay for what the staff do for you here. If I had all the money in the world I would give it to Marie Curie, for all the work they do. It’s not just nursing, but the way they do it, it’s done with love.”

Mrs McKittrick’s family spoke of the care she received: “Our mother was so happy to be at Marie Curie hospice and as a family we were so relieved that she could spend her last days surrounded with expert medical and nursing care. We know that Marie Curie also provides hospice care at home for thousands of people throughout Northern Ireland and as a family, we support SPAR NI’s fundraising appeal to support this vital service.”

Marie Curie provided vital end-of-life care to more than 5,000 people across Northern Ireland last year, in patients’ homes and at its Belfast hospice. Daffodils are available at over 300 SPAR NI stores from 19^th February to 31^st March.

For more information on the Great Daffodil Appeal, visit www.spar-ni.co.uk/marie-curie/ and www.mariecurie.org.uk/daffodil

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