Over 100 ViVO and ViVO Essentials stores across NI will begin fundraising and raising awareness for Children’s Heartbeat Trust, after being named the retailers’ new charity partner.

The charity which celebrated its 40th anniversary last year is the leading children’s charity focused on supporting children and young people with congenital heart disease and their families across Northern Ireland.  Their mission is to ensure that every child with heart disease is supported at every stage of their journey through high-quality, inclusive, clinical, practical, and emotional support.

Last year, Children’s Heartbeat Trust granted over £110,000 of financial support to 216 families who needed to travel outside of Northern Ireland for surgery or who had an extended stay in hospital, as well as provided emotional bedside support to over 300 children, and their families, while they were in hospital.

Children’s Heartbeat Trust has provided integral support to Belfast family, Clare Kane, partner David Rogan and their children Erin and Eoin. Erin was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, and at just five years old has already had five open heart surgeries and numerous procedures. The family had to travel to Birmingham for all of Erin’s surgeries and treatments and most of her first year was spent in and out of hospital.

Erin’s mum Clare has spoken of the unrivalled care they have received from Children’s Heartbeat Trust, from providing a listening ear for the whole family, to offering all kinds of support, Clare stated that they “are extremely grateful for everything Children’s Heartbeat Trust has done to help us on our journey”.

Clare continued, “It was such a relief to know they were there, and you weren’t alone. They provided us with the opportunity to meet other families going through a similar journey which was extremely helpful.

“Whilst we were away the team stayed in touch and were a constant support, both emotionally and financially to help with the cost of travelling and living out of hospital for so long.

“We have enjoyed lots of family fun days organised by the charity to enable us to have quality time together as a family, meet others and discuss any ongoing worries or concerns. It’s great to have that support network available and for Erin to meet other children with her condition.”

There are 109 ViVO and ViVO Essentials retailers nestled in the heart of communities across Northern Ireland, all independently owned locally. The partnership kicked off at Easter with a hamper raffle packed with eggs and treats.

The fundraising calendar will continue throughout this first year with employees from the stores engaging in a number of activities including an Abseil and ViVO’s Golf Day in June.  World Heart Day in September will see a huge push on fundraising and awareness thanks to the partnership, and the year will end with cheer and some Jolly Jumpers for Christmas.

Bronagh Luke from ViVO NI says this new partnership is an opportunity for shoppers and the wider public to learn more about Children’s Heartbeat Trust thanks to their large network of stores throughout Northern Ireland.

“Children’s Heartbeat Trust is a local charity that resonates with our retailers, employees and shoppers. They have supported thousands of children with heart diseases and their families over the years, and unfortunately, each year another 200 children are diagnosed with heart disease in Northern Ireland.

“We are incredibly proud to be able to engage our network of stores and teams with the charity, helping them to raise their profile even more in Northern Ireland, and contribute financial support from our fundraising efforts towards their vital services.

“This is a valued and beloved charity and we’re delighted to build this partnership to have a positive impact going forward with ViVO and ViVO Essentials stores.”

Lynn Cowan, Fundraising Manager from Children’s Heartbeat Trust added; “Children’s Heartbeat Trust is thrilled to partner with ViVO and ViVO Essentials, well-known and respected brands across Northern Ireland and in the heart of the community where our families live.  This is a fantastic opportunity to bring great visibility to the charity and help raise key awareness around the need for support services for local children with heart disease.

“We hope communities across NI will embrace this partnership and we look forward to working with retailers, ViVO shoppers and employees to raise vital funds and awareness through stores so that we can continue providing practical, emotional and financial support for families long into the future.’’

To find out more about ViVO and ViVO Essentials and their partnership with Children’s Heartbeat Trust, visit www.childrensheartbeattrust.org.

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