EUROSPAR marks 25th anniversary with continued community support

As EUROSPAR marks 25 years of serving local communities, the brand is celebrating its long-standing relationships with local charities, community groups, schools and sports teams.

To continue the 25th anniversary celebrations following their £25,000 giveaway, EUROSPAR is also giving away five family passes for the Belfast Giants end of season fixture.

Giving back has been a central focus for the EUROSPAR brand since the first stores opened in 2000, creating significant partnerships, enabling not only the brand, but individual stores to give back to their local communities and charities that are close to their hearts.

One of the key partnerships was set up 14 years ago in 2011 with EUROSPAR’s charity partner, Cancer Fund for Children. Since then, EUROSPAR stores across the country have dedicated their time and energy into fundraising initiatives including taking on cold sea dips and braving the shave, raising almost £1.9 million in the process.

Many EUROSPAR stores across Northern Ireland also take part in the annual event which kicks off September’s Childhood Cancer Awareness Month each year, the Community Coffee Mornings. The Community Coffee Mornings began in 2017 and are the biggest fundraising events for the retailer each year, raising approximately £50,000 for Cancer Fund for Children annually.

The teams behind EUROSPAR also raise money for the charity through donations from their Christmas Sandwiches and the iconic Big Red Stetsons at the annual Balmoral Show, all made possible thanks to shoppers who have also given generously over the years.

EUROSPAR is giving away five family passes for the Belfast Giants end of season fixture on 5 April

“Being EUROSPAR’s charity partner for the past 14 years has been nothing short of incredible, seeing the dedication from the brand and the individual store staff, who always go the extra mile in their fundraising efforts,” Phil Alexander, chief executive at Cancer Fund for Children, said.

“The EUROSPAR Community Coffee mornings go from strength to strength every year and they are one of the highlights in our charity’s fundraising calendar. The vital funds each store and member of staff has raised have helped thousands of families through the toughest times of their lives, enabling us to ensure children and their families feel supported, connected and better able to cope with the emotional impact of cancer.

“We want to extend a big thank you for the invaluable support and monumental amount of money and awareness of the impact of cancer on families across NI that EUROSPAR has raised during our partnership and send a huge congratulations for 25 successful years of serving their local communities.”

EUROSPAR has demonstrated an ongoing commitment to their neighbourhoods throughout the past 25 years. Since 2004, stores have been providing sports kits to local schools for their Sports Days. Last year, over 600 sports day kits were supplied to primary schools across the country from their local stores.

As part of the celebrations this year, EUROSPAR is making School Sports Days more exciting and memorable by giving away £250 to five lucky schools, to help them purchase much needed Sports Day equipment.

In 2022, EUROSPAR stores began taking part in the Litter Pick Campaign, in which store team members clean up their local area. Henderson Group, which owns the EUROSPAR brand in Northern Ireland, provide stores with litter pick kits including large bin bags, pickers, high visibility vests and gloves to enable litter picks to take place in almost every town and neighbourhood in Northern Ireland. Teams from 54 Henderson Retail stores across the country have collected more than 2,098 bags of rubbish, cleaning up their local communities and creating better spaces for their neighbours to live in.

EUROSPAR stores across the country also show support to their local Foodbanks with regular donations from collections in-stores, donating 27,242 items through 475 donations since the initiative began in 2023.

“Our partnerships with local charities, community groups, schools and sports teams are so important to us and every single one of our EUROSPAR stores across NI,” Bronagh Luke, from EUROSPAR NI, commented.

“Our teams are so dedicated to their local communities, always looking for new ways to raise money, make donations or provide support in any way they can. This commitment runs through our brand and our store teams and has done since opening our first EUROSPAR store 25 years ago.

“It’s important to us to make a positive impact on our communities, and it is especially significant when we can help charities and local groups that our store staff hold close to their hearts. We wish to thank all local charities, organisations and groups for partnering with us and our stores over the years and we look forward to many more years of meaningful partnerships.”

Loyal and local suppliers

As part of the 25st anniversary celebrations, the brand has also highlighted its long-standing relationships with its loyal producers and suppliers.

When EUROSPAR opened its first stores in Northern Ireland back in 2000, so too began important relationships with some of the best local suppliers across the country: Orrs Potatoes, Willowbrook Foods, McColgan’s, Allied Bakeries, Irwin’s and Hovis, and now over 75 per cent of fresh food is sourced locally from 180 local suppliers.

These significant partnerships with local suppliers have enabled EUROSPAR stores to provide everything needed for meal inspirations and tonight’s tea right on shoppers’ doorsteps.

“We take pride in delivering fresh, locally sourced products, making sure our shoppers’ trolleys are filled with the best Northern Ireland has to offer, and our partnerships with local suppliers have allowed us to do just that since our first EUROSPAR supermarkets opened 25 years ago,” Clare Bell, from EUROSPAR NI, explained.

“Over the past 25 years, EUROSPAR NI has been dedicated to developing high-quality own-brand products to meet the evolving demands of our customers. By working closely with local farmers and suppliers, we’ve been able to source the best ingredients to create delicious, value-driven products that our shoppers love.

“Our award-winning The Kitchen range, crafted by Chef Carl Johannesson, features a range of family favourites such as luxury beef lasagne and meals for one including street food-inspired dishes and takeaway-style meals, all designed to bring quality, convenience, and great taste to your table.”

Richard Orr, from William Orr and Son. The farm has been a long-standing supplier of EUROSPAR

Richard Orr, from William Orr and Son, commented: “We’ve had such a successful partnership with EUROSPAR NI, helping bring our quality potatoes to shoppers across Northern Ireland. It’s been incredible to see our produce on their shelves and used in customers homemade meals and recipes, alongside ingredients from other local suppliers. EUROSPAR’s commitment to supporting local farmers and delivering the best to their customers has been at the heart of our journey, and we’re proud to be part of it.”

Bell continued: “Thanks to customer feedback and a commitment to local sourcing, we continue to expand and refine our own-brand offering, ensuring that EUROSPAR NI remains your go-to for affordable, high-quality meals for every occasion.”

£25,000 giveaway

To celebrate their 25th anniversary, EUROSPAR is giving back in a big way with an exciting £25,000 giveaway.

A total of £25,000 is up for grabs, with 10 lucky winners each taking home £2,500 to spend however they like.

Shoppers just need to do is visit their local EUROSPAR store and scan the QR code for the chance to win. The competition will run until Sunday, March 30.

To continue the celebration, EUROSPAR is also giving away five family passes for the Belfast Giants end of season fixture on Saturday 5th April.

Back in January 2000, the first two EUROSPAR stores were opened, McVeigh’s EUROSPAR Warrenpoint, an independent store operated by the McVeigh family and EUROSPAR Rathgael Road operated by Henderson Retail. Twenty-five years later, there are 90 EUROSPAR supermarkets in Northern Ireland.

“This is a huge milestone for the EUROSPAR brand and one thing that hasn’t changed since the opening of our first stores is our commitment to our shoppers. This giveaway is our way of saying thank you to our loyal customers who’ve supported us throughout the years,” Bell said.

“As we look ahead to the next 25 years, we are excited to grow and develop our community supermarkets even further, while remaining deeply rooted in our local communities and providing, everyday essentials, key services and value on our shoppers’ doorsteps.

“Keep an eye out throughout the year for more EUROSPAR parties and celebrations instore and help us mark the momentous occasion as we thank you for helping us become the brand we are today.”