Community Coffee Mornings at NI stores raise £70,000 for children’s cancer charity

EUROSPAR and ViVOXTRA stores across Northern Ireland have raised £70,000 from their annual Community Coffee Mornings back in September.

This brings Henderson Group’s total donations to their charity partner Cancer Fund for Children to £1.87 million since the partnership began 13 years ago.

The event, supported by Barista Bar Coffee and Kingsmill, kicked off September’s Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, with 90 stores getting involved across the weekend of 6–8 September and holding a coffee morning in aid of Cancer Fund for Children.

While Cancer Fund for Children fundraise all year round, a special focus is placed on Childhood Cancer Awareness Month which is when the charity focuses on raising awareness of the impact of childhood cancer on young people and families.

Shoppers were invited to visit any EUROSPAR or ViVOXTRA store throughout the weekend, including flagship stores, EUROSPAR Linn Road, JD Hunter & Co. Markethill, Smyth’s EUROSPAR Ballymoney, ViVOXTRA Banbridge, EUROSPAR Dromara, Swift’s EUROSPAR Lisnaskea and EUROSPAR Ranfurly in Dungannon.

“Every month approximately 12 children and young people (aged 0-24) are diagnosed with cancer in Northern Ireland,” Phil Alexander, chief executive at Cancer Fund for Children, said.

“We understand the devastating impact a childhood cancer diagnosis has on families and it is our mission to make sure all young people across the island of Ireland have access to the right support when it is needed most. Thanks to donations like this one from Henderson Group, we can help ensure children and young people, as well as their families, don’t have to face cancer alone.”

In addition to providing tea, coffee and sweet treats for shoppers in exchange for a donation, a number of stores went the extra mile to encourage donations for the vital charity.

Team members at ViVOXTRA Castledawson took part in an exercise bike challenge in-store and Marshall and Skye from Paw Patrol paid a special visit to the store to meet shoppers.

The EUROSPAR Dromara and JD Hunter & Co. teams took part in in-store spinathons while Smyth’s EUROSPAR Ballymoney welcomed volunteers from Cancer Fund for Children to join staff in bucket collections throughout the weekend.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank Henderson Group for their invaluable support. The EUROSPAR and ViVOXTRA Community Coffee mornings go from strength to strength every year and they are one of the highlights in our charity’s fundraising calendar,” Alexander said.

“The coffee mornings bring local communities together to kick off Childhood Cancer Awareness Month each year, whilst raising vital funds to help hundreds of families, ensuring they feel supported, connected and better able to cope with the emotional impact of cancer.”

Bronagh Luke from SPAR NI added: “Thanks to our incredible retailers and shoppers, our annual coffee mornings, which began in 2017, are our biggest fundraising events each year.

“It is an honour to kick off Childhood Cancer Awareness Month each year with this event. It was incredible to see teams from 90 EUROSPAR and ViVOXTRA supermarkets in Northern Ireland dedicate time and energy into the Community Coffee Morning this year, to raise an amazing amount of money for a very deserving charity and the many families they support.

“Well done to all teams who took part and thank you to all our shoppers for showing their support.”