Kells store pride as SPAR NI raises over £1m for Marie Curie nursing care

Over the past few years, the store team has organised and taken part in a number of initiatives and fun days to help raise funds towards the milestone and become one of the top SPAR fundraisers in NI.

A Ballymena store team is celebrating after helping SPAR NI surpass an extraordinary £1 million raised for Marie Curie, supporting vital community nursing services across Northern Ireland.

SPAR NI has confirmed its retailers and shoppers have collectively raised £1,024,167 for the charity since the partnership began in 2017.

The team at SPAR Kells, Ballymena, has contributed a significant share towards the milestone through years of dedicated fundraising and community support.

The partnership has seen SPAR Kells take part in some of Marie Curie’s most recognisable campaigns, including The Great Daffodil Appeal and the Blooming Great Tea Party, while also organising their own in-store fundraising events.

Over recent years, the Kells team has hosted coffee mornings, joined sports days, engaged with local businesses, and even taken part in popular spin-a-thons alongside their shoppers. Their efforts have made them one of the top SPAR fundraisers in Northern Ireland.

11-year-old Harry McCosh, son of store owner Michael McCosh

Among those contributing is the store’s youngest fundraiser, 11-year-old Harry McCosh, son of store owner Michael McCosh. Harry regularly takes part in events and has created handmade gifts to thank donors or those sharing personal stories about Marie Curie.

On his own, he has already raised more than £500.

Mr McCosh said:

“We are so proud of Harry. He always puts his best foot forward and engages with our shoppers and community, leading by example with his creativity and passion to make a difference.

“A number of our staff and shoppers have personal experience of Marie Curie, including myself, as their community nurses looked after my father during his battle with cancer. Kells is a small, tight-knit community and to support Marie Curie gives us the knowledge that in some small way, we are supporting people in our community at their time of need.”

Bronagh Luke from SPAR NI paid tribute to the dedication shown across stores, saying:

“We are thrilled to reach this monumental milestone for Marie Curie. Over the past eight years, we have been so proud of the passion and support our retailers have given to this partnership, while engaging with the many fundraising initiatives our marketing team has rolled out.

“Sadly, so many have had their own friends and family members rely on support from Marie Curie’s community teams and at the east Belfast Hospice, which only serves to drive them to help even more.”

Marie Curie’s Senior Partnership Manager, Conor O’Kane, also praised the achievement and the commitment shown by SPAR teams across Northern Ireland. He said:

“This is such a special milestone to reach with SPAR NI, and is the result of the commitment and engagement of every store across Northern Ireland. To have received over one million pounds from one corporate partner in just eight years is incredible, especially as Marie Curie marks 60 years in Northern Ireland.

“Oftentimes, shoppers at stores will have an affiliation with Marie Curie, whether we have helped a family member in the past or in the present, and that is what makes this partnership so strong, it’s communities helping communities.”

With Marie Curie marking its 60th year in Northern Ireland, SPAR NI’s contribution reflects the power of local fundraising, community spirit, and the strong connection many families have with the charity’s nursing and hospice services.