Centra and SuperValu stores donate 50p from every pumpkin sold to Action Cancer.

There are pumpkins a plenty across Centra and SuperValu stores this season as the convenience retailers have joined forces with County Armagh supplier Gilfresh to sell the pick of the patch, with 50p from each pumpkin sale going straight to local charity Action Cancer.

The retail brands’ long-term charity partner Action Cancer will use funds raised to help keep its mobile detection unit the Big Bus on the road, bringing its free health checks and breast screening services to communities across Northern Ireland.

Desi Derby, Marketing Director at Centra and SuperValu NI said:

“Our customers are extremely supportive of Action Cancer and it’s thanks to the ongoing support from them and our retail partners that the Big Bus can continue to visit communities across Northern Ireland and provide cancer prevention and life-saving services to so many people.

“Halloween is such a fun time for many people whether dressing up or carving pumpkins, and this is an easy way for our shoppers to help raise vital funds for a very worthwhile charity, while enjoying themselves at the same time.”  

Gareth Kirk, CEO of Action Cancer added: –

“Once again Centra and SuperValu are pulling out all the stops to raise essential funds for Action Cancer. We hope shoppers pick up a pumpkin in their local store and help us to continue to deliver our life-saving services and support those who really need help.”

Centra and SuperValu have been partnering with Action Cancer since 2001 and to date have raised £3.5 million – one of the largest amounts ever by a company for an individual charity in Northern Ireland.

Pumpkins are available to purchase in stores now – for a full list of Centra stores click here and SuperValu stores click here.

A local fundraising drive for Action Cancer, supporting Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Leading food convenience retailers Centra and SuperValu, are launching a new initiative to support their long-term charity partner Action Cancer, by encouraging shoppers to help sponsor a mammogram.

Each Centra and SuperValu store is aiming to raise at least £120, which is how much it costs Action Cancer to provide one free mammogram to women in Northern Ireland. Last year, the service provided 1,950 breast screenings to women aged 40-49 and over 70 years – outside of NHS screening age.

From Monday 10th to Friday 14^th October, staff at Centra and SuperValu stores across Northern Ireland will be armed with buckets collecting donations to raise funds for this life-saving service. Customers will also be able to donate at the tills using cash or card.

Desi Derby, Director of Marketing for Centra and SuperValu, said,

“We have a long-standing partnership with Action Cancer and our amazing retailers, colleagues and customers have raised £3.5m to date to keep the Big Bus on the road. We’re proud to launch this new initiative and would encourage our customers to support this worthwhile cause in our stores and help save the life of a mum, granny, daughter, aunt, wife or friend.

“Our marketing campaign features 16 local women who have benefited from Action Cancer breast screening service, a testament to the importance of this vital service and the need for continued fundraising.”

Corporate Fundraising Manager for Action Cancer, Lucy McCusker, added:

“We’re delighted to continue our partnership with Centra and SuperValu with the launch of this new initiative. Our breast screening service detects approximately six cancers in every 1,000 women screened, and with the support of our partners Centra and SuperValu, we can continue to provide these life-saving screenings. Each mammogram, while free to the client, costs Action Cancer £120, so every penny raised could help save the life of a woman close to you.”

Bridie Treanor from Roslea in County Fermanagh, and a mum to six children and granny to four grandchildren, attended Action Cancer’s Big Bus for a breast screening when it visited SuperValu Newtownbutler in 2019. As Bridie was outside the age bracket for NHS screening, it was this appointment that detected her cancer. Bridie underwent successful surgery and treatment and is now cancer free.

Speaking today, Bridie said:

“I am so thankful to Action Cancer’s Big Bus for saving my life and I can look forward to celebrating future birthdays and watching my family grow up. I never would have travelled all the way up to Belfast to attend a routine screening so I’m grateful that women like me can access this vital service in their own communities. Please support this wonderful charity in whatever way you can.”

Centra to donate 50p from every cup of Frank and Honest Coffee sold, to charity partners.

Staff from Centra, SuperValu and MACE stores across Northern Ireland are encouraging customers to ‘Espresso they care’ and celebrate International Coffee Day (Saturday, 1 October) at their local store while helping to raise much needed funds for local charities Action Cancer and Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke.

From Thursday, 29 September to Saturday, 1 October, each purchase of a Frank and Honest coffee in participating Centra, SuperValu and MACE stores, will see 50p going straight to the charities to help them continue to provide vital community services.

Last year the initiative raised an incredible £22,000 and this year the brands are hoping to smash that total and raise even more funds, which will help keep Action Cancer’s mobile clinic, The Big Bus, on the road and enable NI Chest Heart & Stroke to continue to deliver care services and health promotion programmes to thousands of people living with, or at risk of developing chest, heart, and stroke conditions.

Discussing the charity fundraising drive, Desi Derby, Marketing Director at Musgrave NI said:

“Our charity partners make a real difference to the lives of people across Northern Ireland, and we are delighted to launch this coffee fundraising initiative, which was a resounding success last year. We are sure that with the help and support of our customers purchasing a Frank and Honest coffee in their local store that we will once again raise much needed funds for Action Cancer and Northern Ireland Chest Heart and Stroke.”

Centra and SuperValu have been partnering with Action Cancer since 2001 and to date have raised £3.5 million for the charity.

Thanking Centra and SuperValu and their customers for their ongoing support Gareth Kirk, CEO of Action Cancer said:

“The support provided by the customers and staff of Centra and SuperValu for Action Cancer is truly magnificent.  For over 21 years the income raised for Action Cancer has ensured the former and current BIG BUS have been able to deliver their unique onboard lifesaving breast screening service and health checks to local communities throughout Northern Ireland.  Without the commitment and support of Centra and SuperValu this would simply not have happened, for many women their breast cancers wouldn’t have been detected early and for some the outcome would have been very different.

“Please support this wonderful initiative by purchasing a Frank and Honest coffee and in doing so you will not only enjoy lovely coffee but will also be helping Action Cancer to save the lives of local people.”

MACE has enjoyed a partnership with Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke since 2016 and has so far raised over £245,000 for the charity.

Declan Cunnane, CEO of NI Chest Heart & Stroke added:

“We deliver vital care and prevention services across Northern Ireland, as well as carrying out extensive research into how to prevent chest, heart and stroke illnesses. Last year we supported 16,936 people and organisations, however, almost 90% of our services are funded by public donations. We very much appreciate the support of Mace customers whose generosity will enable us to help more local people living with these conditions and their families.”

Starting at £2.65 for a Frank and Honest coffee, 50p from the sale of each coffee will be donated to the charities over the three-day period.

£6,300 worth of Vouchers to be won in Centra’s ‘Shop For Free’ competition this Autumn

126 customers set to win a shop for free across Centra stores

Centra has launched its ‘Shop for Free’ campaign which will see the convenience food retailer give away more than £6,000 worth of vouchers in a daily draw across its stores for customers to get their shop for free.

As shoppers continue to deal with the increased cost of living, Centra is giving back to communities with prizes of £50 gift cards for three lucky winners every day between 5th September to 16th October. Shoppers are invited to scan a QR code in store and fill in their details online to enter the prize draw.

Desi Derby, Director of Marketing for Centra NI said,

“This latest initiative is in addition to our plan to support shoppers at this difficult time.  We’re investing in over 300 special offers every week across our stores, including many everyday essentials. We also have over 300 own-brand products across Centra which are up to 33% cheaper than the better-known brands and are committed to delivering the best value for our customers across our entire range.

“Customers across the region are feeling the squeeze on their household finances from the increased cost of living, so we wanted to give back to the communities in which we operate. We’ve committed over £6,000 to Centra shoppers offering them a chance to win £50 towards their weekly shop to top up on essentials and to treat themselves when times are tough. With three prizes to be won per day, a total of 126 Centra customers across Northern Ireland will benefit from the competition.” 

The “shop for free” competition, which is sponsored by Lucozade, Mi Wadi and Walkers, will run for 6 weeks from 5th September to 16th October with three winners chosen at random each day across Centra.

Full terms and conditions can be found here.

Sustainability fund will see 12% reduction in carbon over two years as part of Musgrave’s 2040 net zero carbon target.

Musgrave NI has today announced a £2.7 million investment in its SuperValu and Centra stores across Northern Ireland as part of a new sustainability fund aimed at empowering retailers to achieve net zero carbon by 2040.

The fund, which is part of Musgrave’s island of Ireland sustainability strategy, will result in an estimated 12% carbon reduction by the company over a two-year period.

In Northern Ireland, this investment will be equal to planting more than 31,000 trees or powering 426 homes every year as it will remove over 840 tonnes of carbon.

Musgrave NI is committing £42,500 per SuperValu store and £21,250 per Centra store. Retailers can select suitable initiatives based on each store’s needs and set-up, including upgrading freezers and refrigeration units, LED lighting retrofit, solar panels, and electronic shelf edge labels (eSELs).

Musgrave’s new sustainability strategy aims to reduce its carbon emissions to reach net zero carbon by 2040, provide consumers with more sustainable shopping choices in-store and work with retailers to ensure their stores are sustainable.

Trevor Magill, Managing Director, Musgrave Northern Ireland said: “The climate crisis is the biggest threat to humanity, and we all have a responsibility to act now to protect the planet for generations to come. Musgrave is committed to leading when it comes to climate action, and this is something we’ve been really focused on in recent years. This £2.7 million sustainability fund is another step forward in supporting our retail partners to reduce their carbon emissions.

“Our SuperValu and Centra retailers are at the heart of local communities here, they’re invested in the future of those communities but also uniquely positioned to show leadership in sustainability at a local level. We look forward to working with those retailers on this fund and our other sustainability initiatives aimed at educating shoppers and encouraging our suppliers to play their part in creating a more sustainable future.”

As part of its strategy, Musgrave NI has committed to:

• Reducing or eliminating its own branding packaging where possible, and where packaging is necessary, 100% of it will be recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025. Currently over 90% of SuperValu and Centra own brand packaging in NI is recyclable, reusable or compostable.
• 100% of instore packaging to be recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025.
• By 2025 all stores will use LED lighting only.

In January, SuperValu and Centra pledged to plant 50,000 trees in Northern Ireland by 2032. They are doing so in partnership with Trees on the Land – a charity and not-for-profit project from the Green Economy Foundation. So far, 5,000 native trees have been planted in 13 locations across Northern Ireland already this year, and a further 5,000 are due to be planted in 2023.

Further details on Musgrave’s sustainability strategy can be found at:  https://www.musgravegroup.com/sustainability

Local convenience stores SuperValu and Centra are giving primary schools across Northern Ireland the opportunity to win free Moo’d ice-cream for all pupils and staff as an end of year treat.

To enter, customers must scan the QR code at the Moo’d ice cream kiosk at their local SuperValu or Centra store and nominate the primary school they want to win. The school with the most nominations by the end of the competition will win.

Made by family-run business Ice Cream Treats, Moo’d is now available in 30 SuperValu and Centra stores in Northern Ireland.

Moo’d prioritises natural ingredients and simplicity, steering clear of vegetable and palm oils and using natural flavours as much as possible. It is made using dairy cream from over 3,100 farmers across the island of Ireland with a range that includes something for everyone.

Speaking about the competition, Julie Cherry, SuperValu and Centra Trading Director said: “We believe that the pupils deserve a treat to celebrate the end of a successful and tiring school year, so we’re excited to launch our Moo’d ice cream competition to give them just that.

“Moo’d ice cream is our exclusive ice cream brand handcrafted by a group of local experts. They offer such a wide selection of products and the most amazing flavours such as Madagascan Vanilla, Cookies and Cream and Salted Caramel. The winning schools will receive tubs of ice cream for the entire school – students, teachers and all staff. We hope the competition will lift everyone’s mood and help to kickstart the summer the right way!”

The Moo’d ice cream competition opens on Friday, 13^th May and closes on 12^th June. To enter, simply visit one of the local stores with a Moo’d Kiosk, scan the QR code at the kiosk and nominate your local primary school. Nominations made in SuperValu and Centra stores will be counted separately, so there will be one winning school for SuperValu and another for Centra. Go on, give it a whirl!

Northern Ireland’s leading convenience brand Centra has today launched a region-wide Community Fund to the value of £5,000 as part of its latest marketing campaign.

Community groups are encouraged to apply for Centra’s ‘Choices’ fund, with five individual pots of £1,000 available. Applications are open from now and will remain open until mid-August.

Open to charities, community organisations and not for profits, the Fund coincides with the launch of Centra’s Choices campaign, which celebrates the choices that define us, focusing on four behaviours that promote happiness in ourselves and others, Positivity, Kindness, Respect and Attitude.

Applicants for the community fund grants must demonstrate how their projects will benefit the wider community and how it aligns with one of the four behaviours celebrated in the campaign.

Desi Derby, Marketing Director at Centra, commented on the launch of the campaign,

“Centra’s ‘Choices’ campaign is a bold statement about where we are as a brand and how we fit into the everyday lives of consumers. The choices we make define us and at Centra, we choose community, so we are excited to launch our £5,000 fund to give back to the neighbourhoods in which we operate and show support for community at a grassroots level. We encourage community groups, charities and not for profits from across Northern Ireland to apply on behalf of the projects they’re currently undertaking and could use some help with.”

Centra has called on the support of local celebrities and influencers including RuPaul’s Drag Race Vs the World winner, Blu Hydrangea; TikTok sensation and disability activist, India Sasha and Instagram fashion blogger and cancer survivor, Aisling Gallagher (Galsgoss) to bring the campaign to life on social media. Centra is also looking forward to revealing a partnership with a fourth social media influencer later this month.

They’ll join Centra ambassador Pete Snodden in question and answer sessions broadcast on Instagram Live during the month of May discussing how the choices they have made have led to where they are now.

Desi continued,

“The celebrities and influencers we have on board for our social media campaign truly embody our message, they have each made life defining choices and we’re thrilled that they are sharing their stories with us and members of the public.

“It’s an exciting time for Centra and as we move forward, we will remain at the heart of our communities and support our customers as they navigate their way through their everyday choices.”