SPAR branch in Carlisle help raise £500,000 for Marie Curie

The SPAR store has raised £4,555.45 for the charity since March 2017 when SPAR first announced its partnership with the charity.

They achieved the amount through a number of in-store initiatives including raffles, cakes sales, a second-hand book, DVD and games table, and the everyday generosity of customers who donate money into the Marie Curie collection boxes.

The celebrations at Carlisle are part of a wider £500,000 fundraising milestone achieved James Hall & Co. Ltd, SPAR UK’s regional wholesaler and distributor for Northern England.

The company donates a penny to Marie Curie from the sale of every SPAR sandwich sold in one of the 600 SPAR stores it services, and James Hall & Co. Ltd has helped distribute PPE to frontline Marie Curie Nurses throughout the duration of the pandemic.

Alongside yellow donation boxes within stores, James Hall & Co. Ltd supports Marie Curie through a number of initiatives, including the annual Great Daffodil Appeal in March.

Maureen Smith, Store Manager at Hutton Way SPAR, said: “I’m thrilled that our store is the highest fundraiser in Cumbria for Marie Curie. We have a passionate team here at Hutton Way who really go above and beyond to raise money for an amazing charity.

“This total could not be achieved with our superb customers who are so generous with their donations. Whether it is the donation boxes or anything special we are hosting in-store, they are always willing to support our endeavours, and ultimately, help fund Marie Curie Nurses in communities across Cumbria.”

Linda McCarten, Senior Healthcare Assistant at Marie Curie, said: “To have the support of SPAR and James Hall & Co. Ltd really is amazing, and £500,000 is a brilliant total to have reached. This helps fund our critical work. I’m a regular at my local SPAR store, and it has supported me through the pandemic too as a collection point for PPE, enabling me to carry on doing the work I love for Marie Curie.”