Henderson Group, owners of the SPAR, EUROSPAR and ViVO brands in Northern Ireland, has announced local in-store fundraising and online donations have helped Tearfund reach a total of over £678,000 for the recent Change for Life campaign.

The total comes after a commitment from both the Department for International Development and SPAR, EUROSPAR and ViVO to match funds raised by the public during the campaign which ran from November 2017 to January this year.

This triple donation means that more vital funds will go towards Tearfund’s work around the world, in particular, the Central African Republic to empower those who have been affected by conflict to overcome poverty for good.

Bronagh Luke, Head of Corporate Marketing who is pictured with the Northern Ireland Director of Tearfund, Ruth Koch said; “Tearfund is an organisation central to Henderson Group’s charitable giving, and the latest total raised will go towards the essential work the organisation continues to achieve in the countries that need help the most.

“Our network of stores and shoppers within our communities have shown their generosity once again and we’re so happy to help Tearfund get to this fantastic target.”

Ruth Koch added; “We are absolutely delighted and so grateful for the total raised throughout this campaign. Northern Ireland is one of the most generous regions, and this money will go towards some vital activity to improve the welfare and livelihood of so many, we’re very grateful to SPAR, EUROSPAR, ViVO and the UK Government for helping us get there.

“Our aim is to educate and empower those affected by conflict in the Central African Republic from enabling women with skills and support to grow a business, to farming skills to rebuild their livelihood.”

EUROSPAR, SPAR and ViVO staff and shoppers have been supporting Tearfund in Northern Ireland since 2012, raising over £1.5m for vital projects around the world.

Funds raised have helped to supply one million meals to families in West & Central African Countries, has helped towards combating human trafficking, and facilitated communities by supporting a wide range of activities such as income generation in Ethiopia, crime prevention in Colombia, refugee support in Egypt, girls’ education in Chad, and HIV/AIDS prevention and care work in Nigeria.

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