Coffee lovers across Northern Ireland can make a difference with every cup, as SuperValu, Centra and Mace stores launch a charity initiative in support of Action Cancer and Northern Ireland Chest Heart and Stroke (NICHS).
Starting on Wednesday, 1st October – International Coffee Day – the campaign will run until Saturday, 4th October. During this period, 50p from every Frank and Honest Coffee sold in participating stores will be donated directly to the brands’ charity partners to help fund life-saving services and health programmes.
Now in its fifth year, the ‘Espresso We Care’ campaign has raised almost £100,000 to date, including over £28,000 last year. These funds help keep Action Cancer’s Big Bus mobile clinic on the road, delivering breast screenings, health checks and skin cancer detection services. They also support Northern Ireland Chest Heart and Stroke in providing care services and health promotion programmes for thousands of people living with, or at risk of developing chest, heart, and stroke conditions.
Maurice Cusack, Senior Marketing Manager at Musgrave NI, which owns the retail brands, said: “Supporting local is very important to Musgrave and our SuperValu, Centra and Mace stores. We’re proud of our long-standing partnerships with Action Cancer and Northern Ireland Chest Heart and Stroke, and we’re pleased to bring back the ‘Espresso We Care’ campaign for a fifth year. We hope our caring customers will pick up a coffee when they’re in store and help us raise funds for two charities doing vital work in communities across Northern Ireland.”
SuperValu and Centra have been partnering with Action Cancer since 2001, and earlier this year reached a landmark £4 million in fundraising for the charity.
Thanking SuperValu and Centra staff and their customers, Gareth Kirk, CEO of Action Cancer said: “We are delighted that the Espresso We Care charity fundraiser is back again this year. Thanks to the continued support of SuperValu and Centra and their generous customers, we can bring our life-saving breast screening service, skin cancer detection and health checks to communities across Northern Ireland on the Big Bus.
“Please purchase a Frank and Honest coffee to support this fantastic initiative. Not only will you enjoy a delicious cup of coffee, but you will also be helping Action Cancer make a positive difference to the lives of local people.”
MACE’s partnership with Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke dates back to 2016 and has so far raised £418,000 for the charity.
Declan Cunnane, Chief Executive of Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke, added: “Chest, heart and stroke conditions affect at least 400,000 people in Northern Ireland, and we’re committed to supporting those living with these illnesses through our care services. We also deliver vital prevention programmes and support ground-breaking research to lead the fight locally against chest, heart and stroke conditions. In the past year alone, over 36,000 people and organisations benefited from our services – but with almost 90% of our income coming from public donations, support from initiatives like this is essential.
“We’re grateful to Mace customers for their continued support and generosity and encourage everyone to pick up a coffee during the campaign. Every cup helps us reach more people and families across Northern Ireland.”
Starting at £2.90 for a Frank and Honest coffee, 50p from the sale of each coffee will be donated to the charities over the four-day period.
