Derry store’s 'Blooming Great Summer' events celebrate 60 years of Marie Curie

SPAR NI’s annual Blooming Great Summer fundraiser for Marie Curie will celebrate the charity’s 60 years in Northern Ireland, aiming to raise £60,000 in one weekend with help from SPAR Belt Road in Derry.

If the target is met, it will mean the retailer, which has been partnered with Marie Curie since 2017, will have raised over £1,000,000 for the charity which provides vital end of life care for thousands across the country.

From Friday, June 6-Sunday, June 8, SPAR Belt Road, alongside hundreds of stores across Northern Ireland will bring sunshine in-store with a sea of yellow to fundraise for Marie Curie and encourage donations to the charity with bucket collections all weekend.

Bronagh Luke from SPAR NI says this year’s Blooming Great Summer will be momentous for more than one reason: “This year we are pledging to raise at least £60,000 to recognise the 60 years Marie Curie has been providing their vital services throughout our communities in Northern Ireland.

“If we succeed, we will have raised over £1 million for the charity, which will be a huge milestone for the partnership with Marie Curie NI. Over the years we have enjoyed many fun events which our retailers have wholeheartedly supported, alongside their shoppers, as we know how much their services are needed by families across the country.”

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Around 300 SPAR stores in Northern Ireland support Marie Curie as their official charity partner, a network of committed retailers who have made a huge difference to the services the charity can offer locally, says Anne Hannan from Marie Curie.

Anne commented: “Our 60th year in Northern Ireland is our own milestone and gives us an opportunity to pause for thought for the thousands of people and their families our nurses and Hospice staff have cared for and supported since 1965.

“It is a privilege to be able to provide this support and we’re grateful for our partnerships that allow us to continue to provide it throughout the country.”