With the hope of spring in the air, SPAR NI has launched its support of Marie Curie’s Great Daffodil Appeal, doubling the donations for this vital year.

The local stores will now donate 20p from every bunch of the seasonal blooms that are sold in store to their charity partner, Marie Curie NI, as part of SPAR’s Buy A Bunch to Give A Bunch campaign, which kicks off this month.

Bronagh Luke, Head of Corporate Marketing at Henderson Group which owns the SPAR brand in Northern Ireland said this year it is more important than ever to support the vital services of Marie Curie here; “The charity sector has suffered immeasurably due to the past 12 months of COVID-19 restrictions. So many events have been cancelled, and unfortunately those doing the most for our communities, and those they are helping, are bearing the brunt of that.

“This year, we have doubled our donations to continue the support of Marie Curie services in our local communities as part of the Great Daffodil Appeal and our continued partnership with Marie Curie and the SPAR brand.”

The retailer will also offer beautiful hand-tied bouquets for Mother’s Day this year, including a special Marie Curie bouquet of which £1 from each sale will go straight to the charity.

Conor O’Kane, Senior Partnership Manager at Marie Curie added; “The local support that Marie Curie has received from the teams behind SPAR NI has been immeasurable, particularly in the past year. They have ensured we were front and centre in their COVID contingency plans and we are so grateful for this additional push for our Great Daffodil Appeal this year.

“Buy A Bunch to Give A Bunch is a fantastic initiative, and as well as donations from the daffodils, we will also have our iconic pins at the checkouts as an additional way for shoppers to support our organisation in these continued challenging times.”

The Buy A Bunch to Give A Bunch campaign to support the Great Daffodil Appeal starts from Monday 15 February until 28 March and more information about the partnership can be found at spar-ni.co.uk/marie-curie.

Bronagh finished; “Spring is a season which brings a lot of hope after the darkness of winter, and I think now more than ever, that rings true for so many. We look forward to the Great Daffodil Appeal’s blooms brightening up our stores, and the bouquets brightening recipients’ homes, in the knowledge they are helping the most vulnerable in our local communities.”