Retailer and cardiac arrest survivor Sinead Connolly donates five defibrillators to local area
Sinead Connolly, of Connolly’s SPAR in Dunclug in Ballymena, donated five defibrillator devices as part of SPAR NI’s Heart of the Community campaign (Photo: Henderson Group)
Sinead Connolly, who runs Connolly’s SPAR, Dunclug in Ballymena, has donated, along with her family and team at the store, five defibrillator devices to local groups and businesses in the area.
She raised over £7,500 for the devices on the anniversary of her life changing event, when she went into cardiac arrest on the morning of 28 October 2020.
Luckily for Sinead, paramedics and the rapid response medics were able to bring her back in the ambulance on the way to Antrim Area Hospital. She was diagnosed with Sudden Death Syndrome, a diagnosis that can often come all too late for those who may not be near an essential piece of kit when their heart stops with no warning.
“What happened to me could happen to anyone and over 90 per cent of people who have a cardiac arrest do not survive it. I didn’t know I had this condition until my heart stopped, and I was just so lucky to be in the back of an ambulance when it happened after deteriorating throughout the day and the quick thinking of my husband. I was shocked with the defib, they got me back and I spent three weeks in hospital having an Ablation procedure to fix the electrical fault in my heart,” Sinead said.
“My husband Conor and I run the local SPAR in Dunclug, and as part of SPAR NI’s Heart of the Community campaign to install Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) outside their stores across Northern Ireland, we decided the anniversary of my cardiac arrest would be the perfect time to fundraise with the community to get one for outside our store.”
Through a 12-hour ‘spinathon’ in store, online fundraising and bucket collections one year to the day of her cardiac arrest, they had raised enough for their own AED at the store, as well as four others which have now been donated throughout the community.
Some of the funds will also go towards providing CPR training for those in the community and the in-store team.
“We have donated defibrillators to the SureStart Playgroup and The Harmony Hub in Ballymena, Healthy Kidz in Portadown, and one has also gone to the All Saints Youth Club which provides so many programmes for young people, as well as a space for the Geraldine Donnelly School of Irish Dancing and the All Saints Boxing Club,” Sinead added.
“Then of course the fifth is installed outside our store and available to the community 24/7. We hope that these defibrillators never need to be used, however it is so important that people in our local community know they are there should they need them for a colleague, friend or family member.”
The AEDs will be registered with The Circuit, the new National Defibrillator Network launched by the British Heart Foundation in partnership with the NHS, Microsoft and UK Ambulance Services to connect every device to its local ambulance service and the public, enabling even faster response times and more lives saved.
Henderson Group added that there are now around 250 AEDs installed outside SPAR, EUROSPAR and ViVO branded stores in Northern Ireland.
Bronagh Luke from Henderson Group, who spearheaded the Heart of the Community initiative, commented: “Sinead and Conor run a store that is central to their community and the sheer outpouring of generosity from their shoppers and supporters for their fundraising is testament to that.
“Unfortunately, our defibrillators have been used more than we would like, however they have saved the lives of 13 people that we’re aware of across Northern Ireland, so our campaign is a vital one which raises awareness for everyone in knowing those devices are available to them locally, as well as saving lives. We were so relieved to hear Sinead made a full recovery and is continuing to thrive with her family and business in Dunclug.”
A map of these devices across Northern Ireland can be seen here.
British Beekeepers’ Association (BBKA), which represents hobbyist beekeepers, has urged retailers to stock local honey, after a new research raised significant questions about the composition of blended honey samples imported to the UK and sold at supermarkets.
In a recent authenticity test, 96 per cent of samples of imported honey from supermarkets were found to be ‘atypical’ for honey, compared to 100 per cent of UK beekeeper samples that were deemed ‘typical’.
The Honey Authenticity Network UK (HAN UK) sent 30 honey samples for testing last month, with 24 out of the 25 jars of imported honey not meeting the required standards. All five of the samples sent from UK beekeepers passed the test, as well as one supermarket honey, which was also British honey.
The test was carried out at The Celvia research institute in Estonia, which has developed a DNA Metagenomic test in which the composition of samples is compared against a database of more than 500 genuine honeys.
Diane Drinkwater, chair of the British Beekeepers’ Association– which has a membership of nearly 30,000 beekeepers across England and Wales– said she was “disappointed, but not surprised” at the outcome of the results, adding:
“Our members are small, local producers of artisan honey. Whilst the amounts that they can produce each year will vary due to the seasonable nature of the product, our methods of extraction are unique, and each jar will have its own distinct flavour and texture,” Drinkwater commented.
“We will continue to champion the benefits of local honey in an era of increasing debate over the composition of imported honey sold in the UK”.
According to the International Trade Centre, the UK imported an average of 50,917 tonnes of honey in 2023, of which 39,405 tons were from China. Jars and bottles of honey can be bought off the shelf for as little as 69p, but often feature a blend of products from a number of different countries.
Honey adulteration can take many forms, with one of the most common methods being to bulk out honey with cheap syrups made from corn, rice and other crops.
These new results follow similar outcomes from imported honey samples in Europe, with 80 per cent of samples from Germany, 62 per cent of samples from Finland, and 100 per cent of samples from Austria failing the same test.
Lynne Ingram, BBKA Honey Ambassador and chair of the Honey Authenticity Network UK said: “It is disappointing that yet again, samples of cheap imported honeys in UK supermarkets have been found to be ‘atypical’ for genuine honey. All British honeys in the tests were found to be genuine.
“The lack of appropriate monitoring, testing and enforcement by UK government has led to the UK being flooded with cheap honey, much of it from China.
“Consumers wanting authentic honey are advised to be guided by price as very cheap honey is unlikely to be genuine; to read labels carefully and choose honeys that are not a blend. Ideally buy British honey.
“We would also call on more UK supermarkets to stock British honey.”
Wiltshire Police have arrested five people and seized more than £55,000 worth of illicit vapes, tobacco and alcohol following a series of warrants in the Broadgreen area of Swindon.
In a joint operation HMRC and Trading Standards, officers executed four warrants in Manchester Road at three stores and a property on Tuesday as part of the force’s ongoing Clear Hold Build work within Broadgreen.
The raids led to the seizure of thousands of pounds worth of illegal vapes which breached the legal capacity limit and “were for sale directly next to the counters.” Officers also seized illicit tobacco and alcohol.
Some vapes were advertised as containing more than 15,000 puffs – well in excess of the 600 puff limit for disposable vapes.
Five men were arrested on suspicion of breaching section 92 of the Trade Marks Act 1994. They have been taken into custody for questioning.
“This was a highly successful morning involving excellent multi-agency work,” Sergeant Winter, of the Swindon Central South Neighbourhood Team, said.
“Community intelligence is vital to enable us to conduct operations like this. If you have any concerns around activity going on in your community then please report it to us.”
As industry leaders is cash handling, Volumatic has long supported the use of cash and the importance of maintaining access to cash for both consumers and businesses. The company recognises the importance of the new set of rules created by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) two months ago, to safeguard access to cash for businesses and consumers across the UK.
Since introduction, the new rules are intended to ensure that individuals and businesses who rely on cash can continue to access it and the outcome has already sparked the creation of 15 new banking hubs across the UK, including one in Scotland, with many more to follow.
These hubs provide shared spaces for consumers to access basic services, such as depositing and withdrawing cash, and are being embraced by businesses keen to support the use of cash, who have been struggling in recent years due to the flurry of bank closures across the UK.
With this in mind, Volumatic welcomes the increase in banking hubs and other facilities but recommends businesses go one step further to make things even easier.
“We have known for some time that more and more people are using cash again on a daily basis and so it’s great that access to cash is being protected by the FCA, something that we and others in the industry have been campaigning for, for a long time,” said Volumatic’s Sales & Marketing Director Mike Severs. “Both businesses and consumers need to have easy and local access to cash, and these new rules ensure cash usage continues to rise and will encourage more businesses to realise that cash is still an important and valid payment method.”
With time being of the essence for most businesses, making a journey to the nearest bank, banking hub or Post Office isn’t always possible on a daily basis, plus there is the obvious security risk to both the money and the individual taking it to consider.
Volumatic offers integration with the G4S CASH360 integration
Volumatic’s partnership with G4S, announced back in April 2024, means every business dealing in cash anywhere in the UK can have access to a fully managed solution. This will be especially relevant to those who currently have to walk or travel a distance to a bank or PO to deposit their cash.
Severs adds: “Although having more banking facilities is fantastic news, Volumatic can help businesses even more by bringing the bank to them through an investment in technology like the CCi that can offer integration with the G4S CASH360 solution. Together, we make daily cash processing faster, safer, and more secure and the combination of solutions will save businesses time and money for years to come, making it a truly worthwhile investment.“
Volumatic offers a range of cash handling solutions, with their most advanced device being the CounterCache intelligent (CCi). This all-in-one solution validates, counts and stores cash securely at POS, with UK banks currently processing over 2.5 million CCi pouches each year. When coupled with the upgraded CashView Enterprise cash management software and its suite of intelligent apps, the Volumatic CCi can offer a full end-to-end cash management solution – and now goes one step further.
It does this by providing web service integration with other third-party applications such as the CASH360 cash management system, provided by the foremost UK provider of cash security, G4S Cash Solutions (UK).
“Ultimately, only time will tell how successful the FCA’s new rules will prove. In the short amount of time the new legislation has been in place, the signs are already looking good, and coupled with the new technology we offer, it is a good thing for businesses and consumers alike in the ongoing fight for access to cash and more efficient cash processing,” concludes Severs.
Retail technology company Jisp has launched an NPD service as part of its new Direct to Retailer business unit.
The new NPD service will allow brands to launch or trial new products in a guaranteed number of convenience store locations, with on the ground review of execution by Jisp’s retail growth manager team, and performance data and insights deliverable through its scanning technology and back-office systems.
Brands will also be able to draw on retailer and consumer feedback on the product and its performance thanks to Jisp’s significant resource in user communication, with over 1,000 retailers and more than 100,000 registered shoppers.
Brands can set the parameters of the NPD activity delivered through Jisp’s new service, selecting the duration of the campaign, the number of stores to launch into and even the geographic spread or demographic make-up of the stores included.
Product merchandising and promotional execution in store is monitored by the Jisp RGM team and full reporting is available to help brands better understand the success of their new product and shape future promotional strategy.
This robust data and insight set means that Jisp can not only provide a reliable view of what is selling in stores, but through its scanning technology can also indicate who is buying the product, when, where and why.
Alex Rimmer
“As part of our recent strategic review and restructure, we identified five key pillars of growth, or business units through which to drive new business,” said Alex Rimmer, director of marketing & communication at Jisp.
“Our existing core business already provided us the means to develop new services efficiently and through discussions with major brands, retailers, wholesalers and industry authorities, we identified a need for guaranteed implementation and execution of NPD in the convenience sector.”
Compliance is further assured using Jisp’s Scan & Save scanning technology along with a retailer reward scheme which pays stores for their participation and commitment to the process.
With 1,000 stores already registered with Jisp, the company is in talks with other businesses about opening the new NPD service to their stores given the benefits of securing NPD and reward for execution.
“This is a Win-Win for the sector,” added Alex Rimmer. “Brands can create a bespoke NPD launch campaign with a guarantee that their product will be instore, on shelf and correctly merchandised and promoted, receiving actionable data and insight to shape future strategy. Retailers secure access to NPD, support in merchandising it and reward for taking part, while customers find more local touch points where NPD from their favourite brands are available.”
With this new service promising to be such a valuable asset to the market, retailers and brands are encouraged to contact Jisp to capitalise on the opportunities.
Tesco is slashing the price of more than 222 own-brand and branded products in its Express convenience stores.
Essentials including milk, bread, pasta and coffee are included in the lines which have been reduced in price by an average of more than 10 per cent at Tesco Express stores. The retail giant has made more than 2,800 price cuts across stores in recent months. With 2,048 of convenience stores at the end of the 2023-24 financial year, Tesco aims to benefit hundreds of thousands of customers from the cheaper deals.
The firm said the move comes in the wake of more than 2,800 price cuts made by the chain across its stores in recent months. From Wednesday, customers will pay £1.45 for a four-pint bottle of milk at their local Tesco Express store (down from £1.55) and a Tesco Toastie White Thick White Loaf is also 10p cheaper at 75p.
There are even bigger savings on Tesco Chicken Breast Portions (300g), which have dropped in price by 25p to just £2.25 and a 200g jar of Tesco Gold Instant Coffee now also costs 25p less at just £2.25. Among the branded products with price cuts are Warburtons White Sliced Sandwich Rolls, with the price of a six-pack cut by 10p to just £1.20 and Domestos Original Bleach 750ml, which is now just £1.19 in Express stores after an 11p price cut.
Tesco CEO Ken Murphy said, “Today’s round of price cuts on more than 200 lines in our Express stores underlines our commitment to offering great value to Tesco customers.
"Whether you are picking up coffee and milk for the office or a loaf of bread and a tin of soup on the way home, our Express stores offer both convenience and great value.”
This comes a week after One Stop, the convenience store chain owned by Tesco, has reported a surge in sales to nearly £1.3bn during its latest financial year. The Walsall-based company posted a revenue of £1.29bn for the 12 months to 24 February, 2024, an increase from the previous year's £1.17bn. Over the course of the year, the number of stores directly operated by One Stop increased from 712 to 733, while its franchised locations also grew from 291 to 317.