Marie Curie’s Blooming Great Summer kicks off at the end of this month with the return of the Blooming Great Tea Party across SPAR NI stores on Saturday 28 May.

It comes hot off the heels of SPAR fundraising over £160,000 at its 60th birthday celebrations earlier in the year, with £80,000 going towards the charity which provides end of life care in communities across Northern Ireland.

This year’s SPAR NI Blooming Great Tea Party is kindly sponsored by Punjana, enabling stores to make their fundraising events as big as ever.

Shoppers can pick up a cuppa and some freshly baked treats in selected SPAR stores on the 28th May. There is also a collection of stores who are upping the ante for the day and will encourage even more visits and donations through own-brand product sampling, superhero visits, fancy dress competitions and yellow days with staff wearing Marie Curie’s famous spring hue for the day.

Bronagh Luke, Head of Corporate Marketing at Henderson Group added; “We are excited to see the return of the Blooming Great Tea Party initiative for Marie Curie and especially delighted to be able to make the fundraising bigger and better this year, post Covid-19. We’ll also have some fantastic shopper engagement at SPAR Fortfield in Carrickfergus, where a local Radio Crew will be on site to provide a fantastic atmosphere for the day.

“As well as the tea party in store, visitors to the busy Carrickfergus store on the 28th can have a go at guessing the number of daffodils in the jar, whilst store staff will join in on the cheer by ditching their uniforms for all things yellow on the day.

“SPAR Twin Spires in West Belfast will have a host of superheroes visiting the store – plus prizes for any shoppers who visit in their own superhero fancy dress, alongside plenty of samples for shoppers to enjoy from our Enjoy Local, The Kitchen and The CHEF ranges.”

It’s a celebratory year for SPAR Classic Service Station in Omagh, who are marking 30 years in business this year, and so will create a birthday party with plenty of cake to support the Marie Curie initiative, while SPAR Patrick Street in Newry will also create a wonderful cake stand full of beautiful bakes for shoppers to enjoy, in exchange for a donation.

Bronagh continued; “McBride’s Lakeside store in Fermanagh will have a host of fundraising activities on 28th, including a face painter and a raffle with a long list of prizes, such as vouchers for local restaurants and a boat tour on Lough Erne. Shoppers can also enjoy refreshments while showing their support to one of the Fermanagh staff, who will be shaving his hair off on the day, in aid of the initiative.

“At Curry’s SPAR in Culmore, Derry, shoppers can enjoy coffee and buns, with the opportunity to win a prize by guessing the number of sweets in a jar. Some friendly faces will also be in store to give out goodies to kids that stop by. There is something for everyone in all corners of NI, and everywhere in between. We’re delighted our retailers have embraced this fantastic initiative once again.”

Conor O’Kane, Senior Partnership Manager at Marie Curie added; “It’s fantastic to have the Blooming Great Tea Party back in Northern Ireland and made so prominent by the investment from our SPAR NI partners.

“It is the perfect way to kick off Marie Curie’s Blooming Great Summer of fundraising over the next few months, which is all about having fun in the sunshine and raising more for the important community work the organisation delivers. A £20 donation will support an hour of nursing care, while £180 enables someone with a terminal illness to attend the day therapy unit at Marie Curie hospice.”

For more on SPAR NI’s Blooming Great Tea Party events and key stores taking part, visit spar-ni.co.uk/marie-curie.

Share this page: