Corporate News

Staff at McCool's Centra, Ballymena, are using pedal power to raise funds which will help local charity Action Cancer educate children in healthy lifestyles.

40 staff and their friends will take part in a 24 hour static bicycle challenge on Friday 9 and Saturday 10 December and the sponsorship they gather will go towards Action Cancer's Health Action programme for schools, which is sponsored by centra and its independent retail partners across Northern Ireland. 

It is estimated that the Centra team will cycle the equivalent of over 100 miles during the challenge. 

Health Action has been designed to educate young people on healthier lifestyles, including exercise, healthy eating, sun safety and the dangers of smoking and alcohol. 

Store manager Kevin Killough said; "We're looking forward to the cycle, which will be a physical challenge for us and hopefully good fun, but most importantly will raise much needed funds for our charity partner Action Cancer to help them continue their life-saving work. We would encourage people to come down and support us as we cycle."

Action Cancer and Centra have had an award-winning partnership since 2003, to support and develop the charity's health promotion service for schools and colleges and reduce cancer risk among children.  To date over 350,000 young people have taken part in the scheme with the help of £650,000 of funding from Centra stores. 
 

Well done to the four staff from Swift's SuperValu, Lisnaskea who took part in the Liverpool marathon and raised a massive £5,200 for the Action Cancer Big Bus in the process! This team was swift by name and swift by nature!

Andrew Copeland, Darren Given, Darren Graham and Michael Smyth pounded the streets of Merseyside last month and smashed their fundraising target by well over £1,000.

As part of SuperValu's commitment to Action Cancer's mobile services it's independent retail partners have raised more than £980,000 for the Big Bus, giving 25,000 people access to the life-saving services on the mobile clinic.

The runners from Swifts with Action Cancer's Donna McConnell are L-R Andrew Copeland, store manager Darren Given, Darren Graham and Michael Smyth.

 

Declan Rallies to Raise Huge Amount for Charities

SuperValu Centra Retail NI Installations Manager Declan McGarrity and the Campbell Family have raised a huge amount of money for two local charities.

Their car rally event in Tempo, Fermanagh, sponsored by local business Campbell Contracts, raised a massive £14,650 to be split equally between Musgrave's charity partner Action Cancer and also Marie Curie.

Collections, a raffle and an auction helped generate the fantastic amount of money for local cancer services.

Action Cancer's £7,325 portion of the fundraising will support the Big Bus screening and health promotion unit, which was at the rally event and is sponsored by SuperValu. 

Action Cancer will also use some of the funds to support the Centra sponsored health promotion programme for schools - Health Action.

Pictured below handing over the cheque for £7,325 to Donna McConnell from Action Cancer are Eamon McGarrity, Declan McGarrity, Brendan Campbell, Amy Quinn, Jim Campbell, Damien Campbell and Grainne Quinn.

 

Odyssey Cinema recently donated two ex promotional items in the form of large stuffed toys from the films Marmaduke & Piglet.


A big thank you to Clear Day Nurseries on Ulsterville Avenue, Kids@BT9 who gave an extremely generous donation of £580 to purchase the items. Marmaduke and Piglet are now permanent fixtures in Kids@BT9 and are loved by staff and children alike!
A big thank you to both organisations for the kind donation and support.

 

Can you spare 5 mins.....

Did you know that 1 in 3 people are affected by cancer and that up to 50% of cancers are preventable through a healthy balanced lifestyle?

 Executive Action is made up of the Housing Executive’s 12 graduate trainees who are working directly with Action Cancer. We are helping to carry out research and need your help to ensure that both organisations can target their services more effectively to both staff and the wider community.

Please take 5 minutes to fill in this short questionnaire it will go a long way to combating cancer.

Click here to take part 
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Healthpromotionserviceneeds

 

Centra Tandragee and SuperValu Ballymoney Win Fundraising Awards

The Centra store in Tandragee and the Ballymoney SuperValu store have been recognised with awards for their support of Action Cancer.

Musgrave Retail Partners NI, the company that supports over 270 Centra, SuperValu and Mace stores across Northern Ireland, held its annual gala ball for retailers recently and for the first time presented awards to the Centra and SuperValu stores that raised the most amount of money for their charity partner Action Cancer.  The awards mark the tenth anniversary of the partnership between Action Cancer and Musgrave, along with Centra and SuperValu stores.

Centra Tandragee donated £3,100 to Action Cancer during 2010 and the funds raised benefitted Action Cancer's Health Action health programme for young people, which is sponsored by Centra.  SuperValu Ballymoney donated £14,000 during the year towards the BIG BUS, which is sponsored by SuperValu.

Presenting Nicola Farrell from SuperValu Ballymoney, right, with the award is Action Cancer's Kerry Anderson, centre, and SuperValu Brand Manager Briege McGinty, left.
 

Presenting Neville Woods, owner of Centra Tandragee with the award is Action Cancer's Kerry Anderson, left, and Centra Brand Manager Nicky Kelly, right.
 

 

Executive Action is launched

One in three people will develop Cancer at some stage in their lifetime and up to 50% of cancers can be prevented.

Executive Action is a partnership between Northern Ireland Housing Executive and Action Cancer. The Executive Action project has been launched to raise awareness of the link between lifestyle choices, early detection and the risk of cancer. The project team is made up of 12 graduates who are currently undertaking the Northern Ireland Housing Executive’s Management Trainee Programme.

Executive Action will undertake research around healthy lifestyle choices and the risk of cancer. The results will assist in developing improved services that will address current knowledge and awareness needs. This will establish ways in which both Action Cancer and Northern Ireland Housing Executive can improve their services to the wider community.

There are various events planned over the next 12 months. These include bag packs, a pub quiz, roller disco, beach clean, film night, golf day and sponsored spin cycle. The group will also participate in Action Cancer’s ten mile “Moonlight Walk” and “Giant’s Walk.”

Kerry Anderson, Corporate Fundraising Officer from Action Cancer explains “Action Cancer is Northern Ireland’s leading local cancer charity working to save lives and support people. Our project with the Northern Ireland Housing Executive trainees is exemplary in highlighting the value of true partnership as the research will inform our health promotion services and additionally raise £12,000 to maintain our life saving prevention, detection and support services.” 

Action Cancer is a Northern Ireland wide charity. It works to save lives and support people affected by cancer. The charity offers a range of activities and services such as cancer screening, counseling, complementary therapy, men’s MOT health checks, research and lobbying. Action Cancer is the only charity providing breast screening for women ages 40-49 and 70+. Every 1000 women screened results in the detection of seven breast cancers monthly. Action Cancer also provides the “Big Bus,” which is a mobile unit, providing a local information and detection unit.

You can support Action Cancer’s life-saving services by donating to Executive Action or taking time to complete a short survey. Your help will be much appreciated. For more information take a look at the Executive Action Facebook page, Justgiving page or the NIHE website or contact your local NIHE office.

Meet the Executive Action Team

A new group of trainees from the Northern Ireland Housing Executive have partnered with Action Cancer in a 12 month project involving research about cancer awareness and prevention, and a fundraising target of £12k.  Results from the survey will inform Action Cancer's campaigning and service developments and the funds will help save lives and support people affected by cancer.  At a recent launch of the group are L-R:  Maureen Taggart (NIHE Director of Personnel,) Kerry Anderson (Action Cancer,) Michael Kelly, Richard Munn, Sean McAreavey, Danielle Roberts, John Goudy, Amy Dobson, Chris Perry, Verity Hamill, Matthew Malcolm, Katrina Killen, Paul McCombe, Richard Mercer, David Lamb (NIHE Acting Director of Finance) and Marion Graham (NIHE Corporate Social Responsibility.)

SuperValu Limavady Tops £6,000 for Action Cancer

The SuperValu store in Limavady added to its fundraising total for Action Cancer recently - presenting £2,000 to the charity when the BIG BUS screening and health promotion unit visited the store.

Staff at the store had already raised £4,000 in 2010, bringing the grand total for their fundraising over the past 12 months to £6,000.  The huge amount was raised through a variety of events and in-store collections.

SuperValu and its independent retail partners across Northern Ireland have an award-winning partnership with Action Cancer in support of the charity's BIG BUS - a unique state-of-the-art mobile clinic providing breast screening and cancer prevention services in local communities.  SuperValu stores fundraise for the unit throughout the year and host BIG BUS visits to their stores.  Almost 22,000 people have used the life-saving services on the BIG BUS since it was launched in 2006.

As part of SuperValu's long-term commitment to Action Cancer's mobile cancer services, which they have sponsored since 2001, the independent retail group has provided more than £900,000 of funding for the Big Bus, including £120,000 towards the annual running costs.

Ann Murray, Human Resources Manager, SuperValu Limavady presents a cheque for £2,000 to Bernie McKinley, Health Promotions Assistant, Action Cancer, with SuperValu Limavady staff, Norma Forrest, Lorna Whiteside, Helen Thompson, and Margaret Simpson.

Centra Derrylin Raises £3,700 for Action Cancer

McDade's Centra Store, Derrylin has raised £3,769 for its charity partner Action Cancer.

The fantastic fundraising total was donated by staff and customers over the past year.

The funds raised by the Centra staff and customers will benefit the charity's Health Action health programme for young people, which is sponsored by Centra and its independent retail partners across Northern Ireland.  Health Action was established to educate young people on healthier lifestyles, including exercise, healthy eating and the dangers of smoking and alcohol.

Action Cancer and Centra have had an award-winning partnership since 2003, to advance the local cancer charity's health promotion service for schools and colleges and reduce cancer risk among young people.  To date over 300,000 young people have taken part in the scheme and Centra has donated more than £600,000 to help fund the project.

Action Cancer's Donna McConnell, left, accepts a cheque for £3,769 from McDade's Centra Derrylin staff (L-R) Karol Titurczyn, Assistant Manager, Cathy McBrien, Supervisor and Tanya Curry, Sales Assistant.

 

SuperValu Dungiven Raises £2,600 for BIG BUS

The SuperValu store in Dungiven has raised thousands of pounds for Action Cancer.

An amazing £2,631 was raised by staff and customers through raffles and in-store collections.

SuperValu and its independent retail partners across Northern Ireland have an award-winning partership with Action Cancer in support of the charity's BIG BUS - a unique state-of-the-art mobile clinic providing breast screening and cancer prevention services in local communities.  SuperValu stores fundraise for the unit throughout the year and host BIG BUS visits to their local communities.  Almost 22,000 people have used the life-saving services on the BIG BUS since it was launched in 2006.

Alistair Connor, Manager of SuperValu Dungiven, is pictured with staff from the store presenting a cheque for £2,631 to Action Cancer's Donna McConnell.

 

Big Bus screens thousands of women in their forties

The Action Cancer Big Bus, sponsored by independent retail group SuperValu, is screening an average of 2,300 women in their forties for breast cancer each year.

An evaluation of the first three and a half years of the service (September 2006-March 2010) has concluded that out of the ten thousand women screened by the Big Bus since its launch, eight thousand (80 per cent) were aged 40-49, and therefore fell outside the NHS screening age which starts at 50.

A further 2,800 women have been screened for breast cancer since March 2010.

The analysis of the service found that 46 per cent (4,600) of breast screening appointments were ‘opportunistic’, with women saying they only used the service because the Big Bus had brought them to their community and they would not have travelled to Belfast for an appointment. With an average cancer detection rate of seven out of one thousand women screened by Action Cancer, this equates to approximately 30 women whose cancer was detected early, when it may not have been without the Big Bus.

As part of SuperValu’s commitment to Action Cancer’s mobile cancer services stores have donated more than £900,000 of funding for the Big Bus.

SuperValu brings life-saving message in-store

SuperValu stores across Northern Ireland are providing customers with an important point-of-sale message, which is unlike the price or product information consumers expect to see in their local supermarket.

The posters, featuring cancer survivor Grace McCart, from Gilford Co. Down, promote the Action Cancer Big Bus mobile screening and health promotion unit.  Grace, whose breast cancer was detected on the SuperValu funded Big Bus in 2008, is pictured on the posters telling others that the service saved her life.

Grace said; "I work as a production manager in Moy Park in Portadown.  Little did I know in July 2008 going to work and stepping onto the Action Cancer Big Bus would later save my life.

"When the Big Bus visited my work I put my name down to go for a screening.  When the letter came to say I needed further investigations and was being referred to the City Hospital I remember thinking I didn't have time for all of this as my son was getting married in August.

"It turned out the lump on my breast was a very aggressive form of cancer and I needed surgery immediately.  Thankfully I was able to attend the wedding on the Saturday and then have my surgery on the Monday.

"If I hadn't gone for that appointment and got the slot that day I really don't know what my outcome would have been and I will always be thankful to Action Cancer and the Big Bus."

In an effort to encourage shoppers to make use of the life-saving Big Bus when it is in their local community setting, SuperValu has brought its award-winning corporate responsibility partnership with the local charity in-store and the posters are at highly visible locations in all of Northern Ireland's 40 SuperValu outlets.

The Action Cancer Big Bus was launched in 2006 and over the past four years Supervalu has donated £900,000 to the service.  20,000 people have used the unit at over 750 locations, including local companies and community groups.  The new SuperValu posters also urge businesses and groups to book the Big Bus service.

Grace McCart, centre, joins Action Cancer's Kerry Anderson, right, and SuperValu Marketing Manager Briege McGinty to launch the new in-store advertising campaign.

 Picture: Brian Thompson/Press Eye.

Construction Employers Federation raise £20,000 for Action Cancer

The Construction Employers federation (CEF) raised much needed funds for Action Cancer at the recent Construction Excellence Awards Gala Evening at the Culloden Hotel.

Following the presentation Mr Armastrong said: "The £4,500 raised at the 2010 Construction Excellence Awards brings the fundraising total over the past four years to £20,000.  This latest lodgement will help Action Cancer maintain its life-saving prevention, detection and support services."

Action Cancer provides a range of services which include breast screening for women aged 40-49 and 70+, health promotion, counselling, complementary therapies and mobile unit, the BIG BUS.

For more information on any of the service offered by Action Cancer please contact us on 028 9080 3344.

CEF Managing Director, John Armastrong, Joelene Poole, CEF and 
Norman Carson, Chief Operating Officer, Action Cancer 

SuperValu Magherafelt Raises £5,000 for BIG BUS

The SuperValu store in Magherafelt has raised thousands of pounds for its charity partner Action Cancer.

A whopping £5,000 was raised by a staff team who ran the Belfast marathon, in-store collections and regular prize draws.

SuperValu and its independent retail partners across Northern Ireland have an award-winning partnership with Action Cancer in support of the charity's Big Bus - a unique state-of-the-art mobile clinic providing breast screening and cancer prevention services in local communities.  SuperValu stores fundraise for the unit throughout the year and host Big Bus visits to their local communities.  20,000 people have used the life saving services on the Big Bus sunce it was launched in 2006.

Donna McConnell from Action Cancer, second from right, accepts a cheque for £5,000 from SuperValu Magherafelt staff members L-R Anne Marie McElhennon, Liam Houston (store manager), Leslie Clarke, Neil Keeble and Gwen Johnston.

 

Improve Don’t Move, with Free Architects’ Advice this Festive Season

 

 

 

Local cancer charity, Action Cancer, has joined with neighbouring architects, McCann Moore, based on Belfast’s Lisburn Road, to enable people to make the most of their home this Festive Season and into 2011.

 The idea is simple - for a suggested minimum donation of £40 to Action Cancer, an architect provides a one hour consultation to discuss ideas and give advice. This is the second year the scheme has been in place and in 2009 over £1400 was raised for the charity. There is no obligation and the entire donation supports Action Cancer. 

When faced with the question to move or not to move? Louise Gildea from Ballyclare was full of indecision until a friend recommended the ‘Improve Don’t Move’ scheme. Louise said “if you like where you live but there is a pressing need for more space I would definitely recommend an ‘Improve Don’t Move’ consultation. We discovered through Paul that it was possible to have the best of both worlds; his designs allowed us to keep the aspects of our home that we liked - its location and traditional features but also expand to meet our needs. The support and guidance given through the whole designing and planning stage was fantastic and we are currently well on our way to a contemporary, spacious family home on our much loved site; and an added bonus to the whole experience was the knowledge that Action Cancer was also benefiting.”

 For more information on the ‘Improve Don’t Move’ initiative please log onto www.improvedontmove.org, call Paul Moore from McCann Moore on 07745 020 854 or contact Donna McConnell on 028 9080 3343 or via email at dmcconnell@actioncanccer.org.

 

 

SuperValu Helps Big Bus Navigate Recession

Independent SuperValu stores across Northern Ireland have helped their community partner Action Cancer beat the recession by raising £23,000 in a week-long fundraising drive, organised to keep the charity's Big Bus service moving.  Celebrating the fourth anniversary of the service SuperValu stores challenged customers and staff to donate their loose change, especially twenty pence pieces, during the unique fundraising challenge.  Generous shoppers and SuperValu workers collected the qquivalent of over 115,000 twenty pence coins in just seven days.  The Action Cancer Big Bus was launched in 2006 by Gloria Hunniford, whose daughter Caron Keating died from breast cancer and over the past four years SuperValu has donated almost £900,000 to the service.

SuperValu Marketing Manager Briege McGinty, left, joins Action Cancer patron Nuala McKeever, centre and Action Cancer Corporate Fundraising Officer Kerry McCrea to celebrate the success of the fundraising project.

 

SuperValu Fundraising Project is No Token Gesture

Cara McClinton (3), from Dunmurry and Charlie Magrath (5), from Bangor, join SuperValu Marketing Manager Briege McGinty, right, and Nikki Rose from Action Cancer to launch a new fundraising initiative at SuperValu stores across Northern Ireland which will help fund the local charity's Big Bus mobile unit.  Sixteen SuperValu stores, from Newry to Strabane will sell up to 16,000 trolley tokens carrying joint SuperValu and Action Cancer branding.  Each token comes on a ley ring and costs £1, saving shoppers the inconvenience of finding a coin everytime they arrive at a supermarket.  The funds raised will go towards the early detection and cancer prevention services on board the Big Bus, which was launched in 2006.  Over the past four years SuperValu has donated nearly £900,000 to the service.  Almost 20,000 people have used the unit at over 750 locations, including local companies and community groups.
 

Picture: Brian Thompson/Press Eye

Participating SuperValu stores include:
Ballynahinch, Banbridge, Kings Road, Dairy Farm Centre, Comber, Cookstown, Dromore, Dungiven, Lisburn, Lurgan (Flush Place), Magherafelt, Newcastle, Newry, Omagh, Shantallow (Derry), Waterloo Place (Derry) and Strabane.

Musgrave's Life-Saving £1.5M

Action Cancer patron Zoe Salmon helps celebrate the support that local company Musgrave Retail Partners NI gives to the charity, as she shares the news that donations to Action Cancer from Musgrave central office staff and its independent SuperValu and Centra retail partners have reached the £1.5million mark. The financial contribution is believed to be one of the largest ever made to a Northern Ireland charity by a local company.  The partnership between the two organisations has also had a significant impact on the people of Northern Ireland. In 2006 SuperValu helped Action Cancer pay for and launch a state-of-the-art mobile screening and health promotion unit – the Big Bus – and since then 20,000 people have used the life-saving service. Centra’s support of the charity’s Health Action programme has helped educate 300,000 young people in healthy lifestyles, aiming to reduce their cancer risk in later life. This month sees the start of Musgrave’s tenth year of partnership with Action Cancer and a year-long series of events is planned to mark the anniversary.

Zoe joins (L-R) SuperValu and Centra Sales Director Nigel Maxwell, Musgrave Retail Partners NI Human Resources Director Sandra Mahood and Action Cancer Head of Fundraising and Communications Dougie King, to celebrate the fundraising milestone.

 

Picture: Kelvin Boyes/Presseye.com

Brand new car in time for Christmas!

Action Cancer, in association with Mervyn Stewart, is offering the chance to win your very own brand new Fiat 500 in time for Christmas.  Described as 'the new city car that is bumper to bumper cool', the car is the exclusive prize of Action Cancer's winter raffle.

Stephen Stewart, Managing Director of Mervyn Stewart commented, "Mervyn Stewart initially started working in partnership with Action Cancer by providing support vehicles for their Moonlight Walk event back in June.  We are delighted that the partnership has now developed with this fantastic offer to win a Fiat 500 and support the charities screening service at the same time."

All funds raised will support Action Cancer's breast screening service which is unique in the UK and Ireland.  The aim is to raise £80,000 to screen 1000 women, which is likely to result in the early detection of 7 breast cancers, and offer reassurance to hundreds.  Action Cancer is the only charity that provides free breast screening for women aged 40-40 and 70+.

Douglas King, Head of Fundraising and Communications with Action Cancer said, "We would like to offer out thanks to Mervyn Stewart for the fantastic prize and to Gordons Chemists stores for their fundraising efforts.  It is only with the support of local businesses and the general public that Action Cancer is able to maintain our screening service."

Tickets cost just £1 each and are available from the charity by calling 028 9080 3344 and in all Gordons Chemists throughout October.
 

Launching the raffle is Stephen Stewart of Mervyn Stewart, model Jenny Curran and Ryan Gordon of Gordons.
 

Brian goes an Extra Mile (or should that be 300) for Action Cancer

Musgrave Walk Raises £1,150 for Action Cancer

The recent sponsored walk, which saw a group of Musgrave Retail Partners NI central office staff take to the Lagan towpath in aid of the company's long-term charity partner Action Cancer, has raised £1,150.

Musgrave Retail Partners NI is the company that supports independent SuperValu and Centra retailers across Northern Ireland.

SuperValu and its independent retailers support Action Cancer's Big Bus screening and health promotion unit, helping the charity bring cancer services to thousands of people each year.  Centra's support of Action Cancer's Health Action programme for schools helps educate young people in healthier lifestyles, with the aim of preventing cancer in later life.  Funds raised by staff at Musgrave are split between the two Action Cancer programmes equally in support of retailer fundraising.

Musgrave Retail Partners NI Human Resources Director Sandra Mahood said "we are delighted that the walk raised such a great amount for Action Cancer services and would like to thank everyone who took part.  Well done to staff for giving their time and for raising funds, which will help Action Cancer save lives and support people with cancer."

Some of the Musgrave Retail Partners NI team are pictured after completing the fundraising walk. 

Parents learn about healthy lunchboxes

Local charity, Action Cancer, in conjunction with Centra, has announced plans to roll out a programme of health promotion sessions for parents with children at nurseries and primary schools, to help them understand what makes a healthy lunchbox and a balanced family diet.

The two hour sessions, developed as part of Action Cancer's Health Action project for schools, which is sponsored by Centra, are to be made available to schools across Northern Ireland in an effort to help tackle the rising obesity problem.  They will include a thirty minute talk about healthy eating for children, followed by a 'taste and see' display of lunchbox ideas and a cooking demonstration involving healthy family recipies.

Action Cancer and Centra formed a partnership seven years ago in support of the Health Action project, with Centra covering the cost of running the programme, while stores raise funds for Action Cancer and encourage participation among local schools. £600,000 of funding from Centra has helped Action Cancer bring Health Action to 300,000 young people.

Action Cancer Health Promotion Manager Emily Magrath, right, and Centra Brand Manager Nicky Kelly, centre, join Emma Hopps (5), her mother barbara Hopps, left, and Charlie Magrath (5) at Trinity Nursery School Bangor, to announce plans for the parents' healthy eating sessions. 
 

SuperValu keeps the wheels of the BIG BUS turning

Action Cancer patron Nuala McKeever, right, joins SuperValu Marketing Manager Briege McGinty, centre and Kerry McCrea from Action Cancer to prepare for SuperValu's seven day fundraising blitz in aid of the charity's BIG BUS, which marks the fourth anniversary of the mobile screening and health promotion unit.  For a week from September 25 SuperValu stores accross Northern Ireland will ask customers to donate their loose change in a fundraising drive to help keep Action Cancer's state-of-the-art mobile clinic on the road.  The slogan for the campaign, which will be emblazoned on in-store posters and staff T-shirts to highlight the event announces 'Your Change Can Help Save Lives.'  The Action Cancer BIG BUS was launched in 2006 by Gloria Hunniford, whose daughter Caron Keating died from breast cancer and over the past four years SuperValu has donated nearly £900,000 to the service.  Almost 20,000 people have used early detection, cancer prevention and support services housed on the unit, at over 750 locations, including local companies and community groups.
 

Nuala: Get on board the BIG BUS

Comedienne and playwright Nuala McKeever, patron of the Action Cancer Big Bus, gets into charachter to encourage local groups and businesses to book the mobile unit for visits to their communities, workplaces and health-related events.

The picture will be featured in a provincewide bus shelter poster campaign this month on Adshel poster sites.

The Big Bus, sponsored by retailer SuperValu, houses cancer prevention and early detection services and staff on the unit also provide information about support services for people affected by cancer.  The unit is the only one of its kind in Europe and is on the road throughout the year.

Services provided on the Big Bus include digital breast screening for women aged between 40 and 49 and over 70, health promotion and MOT health checks for men and women.  A weightloss clinic provides clients with a full body composition analysis and offers tailored guidance on reaching and maintaining an ideal weight.

Independent retail group SuperValu and Action Cancer have worked together in support of the charity's mobile cancer services since 2001 and in 2006 SuperValu helped Action Cancer pay for and launch the state-of-the-art Big Bus screening and health promotion unit.  SuperValu stores have raised over £800,000 for the Big Bus since it was launched.

The Big Bus visits community groups, women's groups, public sector organisations and companies of all sizes.  For more information about the Big Bus, or to make a booking contact Action Cancer on 028 9080 3344 or bigbus@actioncancer.org  

Trolan's Golf Classic Swings £142,000 For Big Bus

The fifth annual Trolan's SuperValu Golf Classic in aid of Action Cancer took place on July 8 at Portstewart Golf Club and was a huge fundraising success for the local charity.

Organised by Patsy and Mary Trolan, owners of the SuperValu store in Ballymoney, and other family members, the event involved almost 200 golfers, including a large number of local business-people.  After a day on the course golfers and their guests enjoyed a Casino Night, which boosted the fundraising further.

Over the past four years Trolan's SuperValu has raised more than £129,000 for Action Cancer and this year's Trolan's Golf Classic added a whopping £13,000 to the pot, bringing the total raised in five years to £142,000.

All funds from the five Golf Classics have been donated to Action Cancer's Big Bus screening and health promotion mobile unit.  The unit, which is the first of its kind in Europe, brings a range of early detection and health promotion services into the heart of local communities.  SuperValu and its' independent retailers are the main sponsors of the Big Bus and have raised over £800,000 for the unit since 2006.

Patsy Trolan said; "We are delighted with the success of this year's Golf Classic and proud that the funds raised will be used by Action Cancer to save lives and support people locally.  We'd like to thank everyone who was involved in organising the event as well as all the golfers, sponsors and local business who supported it."



Pictured above, from left, Martin Hughes, Charlie Trolan, Patsy Trolan, Derek McIntyre and Dan McClarnon.

Also, from left, Patsy Trolan, Sharon McCollum, Radiographer and Willie Donald, Action Cancer.
 

 
Pictured above, from left, Keith Chambers, Kerry McCrea, Corporate Fundraising Officer Action Cancer, Angela Chambers and Ivan Harkness.

Also, the prize winners in the Trolan's SuperValu Golf Classic at Portstewart Golf Club with overall winner, Connell Loughery (centre) pictured with Kerry McCrea, Corporate Fundraising Officer, Action Cancer (centre right), Patsy Trolan (fourth from left) and Mary Trolan (centre left), from Trolan's SuperValu Ballymoney.

Patsy and Mary Trolan (left) present a cheque for £13,000, raised through the Trolan's SuperValu Golf Classic at Portstewart Golf Club, to Kerry McCrea, Action Cancer.  Included are the Trolan sisters, Aine, Ursula and Charlene.

Musgrave Commended at BITC Awards for Community Impact

Musgrave Retail Partners NI has won another top accolade for its suport of local charity Action Cancer - the third in as many months.

The Business In The Community (BITC) Regional Recognition Awards, organised to showcase Northern Ireland's most responsible businesses, were presented recently at Belfast's Waterfront Hall.  Musgrave was Highly Commended in the Local Community Impact Category, which acknowledges companies that demonstrate a positive impact on communities by working to address local issues and improve people's lives.

The award was bestowed on Musgrave Retail Partners NI for its two partnerships with Action Cancer - Centra's support of the Charity's school health promotion programme, Health Action, and SuperValu's programme of support for the Action Cancer Big Bus, which is a mobile screening and health promotion unit.  To date a total of £1.4 million has been raised for the charity by independent SuperValu and Centra retailers across Northern Ireland.  300,000 young people have been educated on healthy lifestyles by taking part in the Health Action project for schools and 17,000 people have attended the Action Cancer Big Bus for screening and cancer prevention services.

The news of the latest gong comes a matter of weeks after Musgrave Retail Partners NI's success at the Ulster Grocer Awards, where the company won the Best Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Initiative/Charity Partnership award for its support of Action Cancer and a separate Belfast Business Award for the same partnerships.  Musgrave has won a total of 24 CSR awards since 2003.

Jackie McCloskey from Musgrave Retail Partners NI, right, is pictured celebrating the success with Kerry McCrea from Action Cancer.
 

Centra Draperstown in Marathon Fundraiser for Action Cancer

Staff at the Centra store in Draperstown have raised £1,176 for the store's charity partner Action Cancer.

The amazing amount was raised by 11 members of staff who took part in the recent Belfast marathon, through in-store collections and events.

The funds raised by the Centra store will benefit Action Cancer's Health Action programme for young people, which is sponsored by Centra and its independent retail partners across Northern Ireland.  Health Action has been designed to educate young people on healthier lifestyles, including exercise, healthy eating and the dangers of smoking and alcohol.

Action Cancer and Centra have had an award-winning partnership since 2003, to advance the local cancer charity's health promotion service for schools and colleges and reduce cancer risk among young people.  To date over 300,000 young people have taken part in the scheme.

Pictured are some of the staff from Centra Draperstown at the Belfast City Marathon.
 

Trolan's Super Valu Combines Clubs & Chips for Action Cancer

Patsy Trolan owner of the SuperValu store in Ballymoney, and Action Cancer's Kerry McCrea announce the fifth annual Trolan's SuperValu Golf Classic fundraiser in aid of the local charity.

Patsy, the Trolan family and the team at the store are organising the event, which takes place on Thursday July 8 at Portstewart Golf Club.  They aim to raise thousands of pounds towards Action Cancer's Big Bus screening and health promotion unit, through sponsorship, donations and a casino night.

Services provided on the Big Bus include breast screening for women aged 40-49 and over 70, health promotion and MOT health checks for men and women.  A weightloss clinic provides clients with a full body composition analysis and offers tailored guidance on reaching and maintaining an ideal weight.

SuperValu and its independent retailers across Northern Ireland are the main sponsors of the Big Bus and have raised over £800,000 towards the unit.  Trolan's SuperValu in Ballymoney has donated almost £130,000 to Action Cancer since 2006.

Since SuperValu started supporting the Big Bus over 17,000 people have used the service, including 10,000 women who have been screened for breast cancer.

For further information on the Golf Day and Casino Night event please contact Trolan's SuperValu on 028 2766 3500.

Pleased to announce the fifth annual Trolan's SuperValu Golf Classic fundraiser in aid of Action Cancer are Patsy Trolan, owner of the SuperValu store in Ballymoney and Corporate Fundraising Officer for Action Cancer, Kerry McCrea.

 

SuperValu Portstewart Raises £3,180 for Big Bus

The SuperValu store in Portstewart has raised thousands of pounds for its charity partner Action Cancer.

An amazing £3,180 was raised by staff and customers for the Action Cancer Big Bus during the recent North West 200 week.

SuperValu and its independent retail partners across Northern Ireland have an award winning partnership with Action Cancer in support of the charity's Big Bus - a unique state-of-the-art mobile clinic providing breast screening and cancer prevention services in local communities.  SuperValu stores fundraise for the unit throughtout the year and host Big Bus visits to their local communities.

Pictured presenting a cheque for £3,180 to Donna McConnell from Action Cancer are some of the staff from SuperValu Portstewart.

Centra Tandragee Raises £1,200 for Action Cancer

The Centra store in Tandragee has raised £1,200 for its charity partner Action Cancer.

The amazing amount has been raised by staff who took part in a sponsored abseil for the charity.

The funds raised by the Centra store will benefit Action Cancer's Health Action health programme for young people, which is sponsored by Centra and its independent retail partners across Northern Ireland.  Health Action has been designed to educate young people on healthier lifestyles, including exercise, healthy eating and the dangers of smoking and alcohol.

Action Cancer and Centra have an award-winning partnership since 2003, to advance the local cancer charity's health promotion service for schools and colleges and reduce cancer risk among young people.  To date over 300,000 young people have taken part in the scheme.

Presenting Donna McConnell from Action Cancer, right, with a fundraising cheque for £1,200 are Linda Gowing, Melvin Simpson and Beatrice Brown from Centra Tandragee.

Musgrave Gala Ball Raises Funds for Action Cancer

Over 300 Centra, Mace and SuperValu retailers from across Northern Ireland joined forces to raise funds for local charities at the recent Musgrave Retail Partners NI gala ball in Belfast.

On the night £3,200 was raised through a raffle, which included paddock passes for the North West 200 and hundreds of pounds worth of Marks and Spencer vouchers.

The funds have been divided between Action Cancer, Musgrave's long-term charity partner since 2001 and the Pretty n Pink charity.  Action Cancer's £2,133 of funds will go to the two programmes supported by Musgrave.

SuperValu retailers support Action Cancer's Big Bus screening and health promoting unit, helping the charity bring cancer services to thousands of people each year.  Centra's support of Action Cancer's Health Action programme for schools helps educate young people in healthier lifestyles, with the aim of preventing cancer in later life.

Pictured accepting a fundraising cheque from Paula Flanagan of the Musgrave Retail Partners NI Charity Committee, left, is Kerry McCrea from Action Cancer.

MUSGRAVE WINS BELFAST BUSINESS 'OSCAR'

Musgrave Retail Partners NI has won a prestigious accolade at the Belfast Business Awards for its support of local charity Action Cancer.

The awards, organised by Belfast City Council, took place at City Hall recently, with Belfast-born SpaceNK founder, Nicky Kinnaird, the guest speaker at the ceremony.

A total of eighteen awards were presented to Belfast-based business and Musgrave Retail Partners NI won the coveted Corporate Social Responsibility Award for its two partnerships with Action Cancer - Centra's support of the charity's school health programme Health Action, and SuperValu's programme of support for the Action Cancer Big Bus screening and health promotion unit.

The news comes hot on the heels of recent success at the Ulster Grocer Awards, where Musgrave won the best CSR Initiative/Charity Partnership award for its support of Action Cancer.

Independent Centra and SuperValu retailers across Northern Ireland play an active role in the partnerships with Action Cancer by fundraising for the programmes.  A total of £1.4 million has been raised for the charity to date.  300,000 young people have been educated on healthy lifestyles by taking part in the Health Action project for schools and 16,000 people have attended the Action Cancer Big Bus for screening and cancer prevention services.

Pictured accepting the award on behalf of Musgrave Retail Partners NI from Professor Marie McHugh, left, of award sponsor University of Ulster, are Kerry McCrea, centre and Sean Conlon, from Action Cancer.
 

SUPERVALU DRIVES BIG BUS TO 1,900 STAFF AND CUSTOMERS

The Action Cancer Big Bus mobile unit, which is sponsored by SuperValu, visited Musgrave Retail Partners NI's central office recently to mark a major milestone in the partnership with the local charity.

SuperValu and Action Cancer have worked together in support of the charity's mobile cancer services since 2001 and in 2006 SuperValu helped Action Cancer pay for and launch the hi-tech Big Bus screening and health promotion unit.

The visit was organised to celebrate the fact that 1,900 SuperValu staff and customers have used the Big bus since it was launched.  Almost twenty SuperValu stores host Big Bus visits every year, allowing local staff and customers to use the unique facility.

A total of 16,000 people across Northern Ireland have used the screening, support and health promotion facilities onboard the 18 metre-long unit, including 9,000 women who have been screened for breast cancer.

As part of SuperValu's award-winning commitment to Action Cancer's mobile services, retailers have already raised over £800,000 for the Big Bus, including £120,000 towards the annual running costs.

SuperValu Marketing MAnager Briege McGinty, left, and Action Cancer Head of Professional Services Geraldine Kerr are pictured with the Big Bus celbrating the milestone.

 

 

TROLAN’S GOLF CLASSIC TOPS £129,000 FOR BIG BUS

 

The fourth annual Trolan’s SuperValu Golf Classic took place on July 2 at Portstewart Golf Club and the event was a huge success in raising funds for local charity Action Cancer.

Organised by Patsy and Mary Trolan, owners of the SuperValu store in Ballymoney, and other family members, the event involved over 200 golfers, including a large number of local businesspeople. After a day on the course golfers and their guests enjoyed a Casino Night, which boosted the fundraising further.

Over the past three years the Trolan’s Golf Classic has generated more than £113,000 for Action Cancer and this year’s event added another whopping £16,000 to the pot.

All funds from the four Golf Classics have been donated to Action Cancer’s Big Bus screening and health promotion mobile unit. The unit, which is the first of its kind in Europe, brings a wide-range of early detection and health promotion services into the heart of local communities. SuperValu and its’ independent retailers are the main sponsors of the Big Bus and have committed over £600,000 to its £1.5 million three-year cost.

Patsy Trolan said; “We are delighted with the amount raised at this year’s Golf Classic and proud that it will be used by Action Cancer to make a real difference to peoples’ lives. We’d like to extend our gratitude to everyone involved in organising the event and those who supported it.”

WOODSIDES STORE RAISES £700 FOR BIG BUS

Staff at the Woodside’s store in Ballyclare have been busy fundraising for local charity Action Cancer, with great results.

More than £700 has been raised for the charity at a recent family fun day and barbeque, which was supported by other local businesses who donated food and other items. Ninety people attended the event.

Organised by the store’s owner Niall McConkey and his team the funds raised at the fun day will go towards the Action Cancer Big Bus. The unit, which is the first of its kind in Europe, brings a wide-range of early detection and health promotion services into the heart of local communities.

The Ballyclare Woodside’s store is soon to be branded as a SuperValu outlet and will join other SuperValu stores across Northern Ireland as main sponsors of the Big Bus. SuperValu and its retailers have committed over £600,000 to the £1.5 million cost of running it for the first three years.

Niall McConkey, centre, and Liz Downey, right, from Woodside’s Ballyclare are pictured presenting a cheque for £700 to Action Cancer’s Kerry McCrea.

SuperValu Lisnaskea Banks £4,000 for Action Cancer

The SuperValu store in Lisnaskea has raised an astounding £4,000 for its charity partner Action Cancer.

The generous cash boost has been raised so far this year by staff and customers for the Action Cancer Big Bus, through a variety of events and collections, including a sponsored walk and a raffle.

SuperValu and its independent retail partners across Northern Ireland sponsor the Big Bus, a unique state of the art mobile clinic providing breast screening and cancer prevention services. SuperValu stores fundraise for the unit throughout the year and host Big Bus visits to their local communities.

SuperValu has committed over £600,000 to the Big Bus in the first three years of the service.

Presenting a cheque for £4,000 to Kerry McCrea from Action Cancer, centre, are SuperValu Lisnaskea store manager Darren Given, right, and assistant manager Lucas Zajac, left. They are pictured with (L-R) Mark Smyth, Leona Little, Anne Herbert and Paul Farmer from SuperValu Lisnaskea.

SuperValu Customers Help Big Bus Navigate Recession

SuperValu stores across Northern Ireland have helped community partner Action Cancer beat the recession by raising over £17,300 in a week-long fundraising drive, organised to keep the charity’s Big Bus service moving.
 
Celebrating the third anniversary of the service SuperValu stores challenged customers and staff to donate their twenty pence pieces in a unique fundraising event called ‘the SuperValu 20p Challenge’. In spite of the current economic situation generous shoppers and SuperValu workers collected the equivalent of over 86,000 twenty pence coins.
 
The Big Bus, a state-of-the-art mobile cancer screening and health promotion unit, cost £1.5 million over the first three years, with £612,000 of that figure being funded by SuperValu stores. In the first three years almost 15,000 people have used early detection, cancer prevention and support services housed on the Big Bus, at over 600 locations.
 

SuperValu Marketing Manager Briege McGinty, right, joins Action Cancer patron Nuala McKeever, centre and Action Cancer Corporate Fundraising Officer Kerry McCrea to celebrate the success of the 20 Challenge.
 

Media Men Help Charity Promote Health MOTs

Two of Northern Ireland’s top male radio presenters are helping Action Cancer in an appeal to men to shake off their shyness and use the local charity’s health check services, in a bid to reduce male cancer incidence.

 

Robin Elliott from local radio station Citybeat and Maurice Jay from U105 have been lending their support to the call to action.

Health MOT’s, as they are known, are provided on Action Cancer’s state-of-the-art Big Bus mobile unit, which is sponsored by independent retail group SuperValu and its retailers across Northern Ireland.

The Big Bus men’s MOT’s include tests for blood pressure, lung capacity, cholesterol levels and skin damage caused by exposure to the sun. Men are also given dietary advice and information on exercise, quitting smoking, alcohol and how to make changes to their lifestyle that will reduce their risk of getting cancer.

Action Cancer says men are often reluctant to come forward with health issues, and a recent survey of service users found that 92% thought men were reactive, rather than proactive when it comes to their health. 70% said they thought men ignored health problems until they became serious. The good news is that men found the Big Bus to be a convenient health resource, with more than half of almost 900 male service users polled saying they would not have gone anywhere else for the MOT’s and all of the men said they would use the service again.
 

SuperValu retailers have donated £800, 000 to Action Cancer’s mobile services since they formed a partnership in 2001. The retailer helped fund and launch the Big Bus in 2006.

Action Cancer is asking men to attend the Big Bus when it is in their area. For more information about the Big Bus, to make a booking for your area or find out more about men’s MOT’s call Action Cancer on 028 9080 3344.