SuperValu & Centra reach milestone £3 million fundraising target for Action Cancer
In what is a ground-breaking achievement, SuperValu and Centra retailers have reached a landmark fundraising target of £3 million for Action Cancer – one of the largest amounts ever raised by a company for an individual charity in Northern Ireland.
Thanks to the commitment of SuperValu and Centra retailers in Northern Ireland, Action Cancer is able to provide life-saving services in local communities through the Big Bus as well as the Health Action Programme (HAP).
Michael McCormack, Managing Director of SuperValu and Centra said –
“We are proud to have reached our £3 million fundraising target for Action Cancer. Our retailers and colleagues have worked tirelessly over the years to raise money and this impressive result is testament to their dedication.”
The Health Action Programme is all about championing health promotion and empowering local children to make the right choices when it comes to their health and lifestyles. The programme has worked with nearly 500,000 pupils across Northern Ireland and Michael McCormack stresses the importance of delivering a healthy lifestyle message to today’s younger generation.
Commenting on the impact of the programme, Mr McCormack said:
“Encouraging healthier lifestyles in younger years can reduce the risks of cancer in later life, so ensuring that this message resonates with our young people is something that SuperValu and Centra passionately support. Our retailers have worked tirelessly to raise over £3miillion, to enable Action Cancer to continue providing this fantastic service.”
The Big Bus, which now visits both SuperValu and Centra stores, is a mobile resource centre, providing digital breast screening for women as well as offering M.O.T. health checks for men and women aged 16 and over. In the first half of 2019, the Big Bus has travelled to over 151 locations, providing over 1,963 MOT Health Checks and over 3,624 breast screenings, with an average of six women diagnosed with Breast Cancer per 1,000 women screened.
Gareth Kirk, CEO of Action Cancer stresses the importance of keeping this service on the road –
“The Big Bus touches people’s lives in different ways. For some women, it’s an early breast cancer detection, saving their lives. For others, it’s reassurance that they do not have the disease. Many other men and women gain valuable first-hand insights about their health and how to reduce their risk of cancer. The Big Bus is fuelled by the passion and commitment of our staff, alongside our partners at SuperValu and Centra whose valuable fundraising has made this crucial service possible; together we make a difference to local people every day.”
The longstanding partnership goes back 18 years to 2001 with SuperValu and Centra retailers supporting the vital work of Action Cancer and making a tangible and valuable impact to the people of Northern Ireland. The SuperValu, Centra and Action Cancer partnership continues to go from strength to strength with plans already in place for a brand-new Big Bus to be unveiled in 2020 and retailers actively looking at new ways to fundraise.
Michael McCormack, Managing Director of SuperValu and Centra, concludes –
“This fundraising milestone is a result of the dedication of our retailers and colleagues – and importantly – the generosity of our customers; we want to say thank you to them for helping us to support the incredible work of Action Cancer.”