EUROSPAR and ViVOXTRA staff and shoppers from across Northern Ireland have raised almost £60,000 for Cancer Fund for Children during the stores’ annual coffee morning held recently.

The enormous amount surpasses what was raised last year by over £20,000. Every single penny will go towards vital services that the charity provides for children, young people and their families who are affected by cancer in Northern Ireland.

Now, the supermarkets’ staff, Cancer Fund for Children fundraisers and families who are helped by the organisation are brewing up a huge “thank you” to everyone who donated and attended their local coffee morning.

Catherine McAlynn, Brand Manager for EUROSPAR and ViVOXTRA at Henderson Group commented; “We are absolutely blown away once again by the enthusiasm and generosity of our staff and shoppers. They made our second Coffee Morning a huge success and raised even more vital funds to keep this amazing organisation front and centre of children and young peoples’ lives who are going through cancer treatment.

“In one morning, we welcomed almost 85,000 shoppers across 57 EUROSPAR and ViVOXTRA supermarkets, who drank around 15,000 Barista Bar coffees and cups of tea, enjoyed about 6,600 traybakes and raised a total of £57,078 for such a worthy cause.”

Q Radio’s Errol and Adelle provided entertainment and fun at P&G EUROSPAR in Portadown, broadcasting the ‘Q Saturday Brunch’ show live, while face painters and family entertainment took place at selected stores in other regions. Each store also held a Bake Off instore to encourage further donations, with each winner receiving a £50 voucher to spend in store.

The total amount of money donated by EUROSPAR shoppers to Cancer Fund for Children is now up to £878,259 since the partnership began in 2011.

Lauren Cunningham, Corporate Fundraiser at Cancer Fund for Children added; “We are absolutely thrilled that EUROSPAR and ViVOXTRA chose to support us with their second Community Coffee Morning. It’s fantastic to see this event go from strength to strength, and to see local communities turning out in their thousands to support Cancer Fund for Children once again.

“A huge thank you to everyone at EUROSPAR and ViVOXTRA, their staff and customers for donating so generously. Every pound raised will go such a long way in enabling us to continue our vital work supporting children, and their families affected by cancer across Northern Ireland.”

The £57K raised this year could now provide over 100 families with a ‘Travel for Treatment Grant’ to help those who need to travel outside of Northern Ireland for treatment or surgery; it will also go towards enabling families to get a short break at Cancer Fund’s therapeutic short break centre, Daisy Lodge and it could help deliver 18 months’ worth of residential support for young people living with cancer at the log cabin Narnia in Newcastle, Co. Down.