SPAR UK has been supporting Marie Curie, the UK’s leading end-of-life charity, for nine years and has now reached a landmark £5 million fundraising total. This significant milestone has been made possible by the tireless efforts of SPAR UK store colleagues, customers, suppliers, and wholesalers across the region, funding over 217,000 hours of vital nursing care.

Since the partnership began in 2017, SPAR UK teams have supported Marie Curie through instore collections, bake sales, fundraising activities and selected own brand products, with a percentage of sales donated to the charity.

Colleagues and customers have also backed Marie Curie’s Great Daffodil Appeal, the Blooming Great Tea Party and Go Yellow initiatives, helping people living with a terminal illness and their families.

Fundraising efforts across the SPAR UK network

The passion behind SPAR UK’s fundraising is best illustrated through the people driving it.

Ethan Murphy from James Hall’s SPAR Brunshaw Road store in Burnley raised £12,000 for Marie Curie by running the London Marathon in memory of his grandmother, whose family had been supported by the charity’s nurses.

Karen and Billy Conway from SPAR Scotland have supported CJ Lang’s Marie Curie fundraising through activities including Ben Nevis climbs, bake-offs, and Wear It Yellow days.

Director of Logistics Del Phillips has raised over £57,000 for Marie Curie through numerous challenges, including running more than 220 miles, completing nearly 10,000 press-ups and crossing the finish line at the 2026 London Marathon.

In Northern Ireland, Henderson Group colleagues and communities have raised over £1 million for Marie Curie through initiatives including the Balmoral Show fundraising, bake sales, spin-a-thons and dress-up days since the partnership began, with more than £175,000 raised last year alone.

As the most recent contributor to the Marie Curie partnership, A.F. Blakemore, has raised over £550,000 for Marie Curie in just two years across its SPAR stores, logistics, and central teams. SPAR Amlwch collected £1,414 through a 26-mile coastal walk, while A.F. Blakemore’s London Marathon runners collected almost £9,000. A.F. Blakemore’s top fundraising stores, SPAR Droitwich, SPAR Walsall Manor Hospital, and SPAR Winthorpe Avenue, also raised over £27,000 through community activities.

£5 million raised supports thousands of hours of nursing care

The £5 million raised is enough to fund over 217,000 hours of Marie Curie nursing care at home or almost 549 days of care in a Marie Curie Hospice, a direct result of the passion and commitment shown by SPAR UK’s teams in communities across the UK.

Marie Curie supports people with any illness they are likely to die from including Alzheimer’s (and other forms of dementia), heart, liver, kidney and lung disease, motor neurone disease, Parkinson’s, and advanced cancer.

“We are immensely proud of all of our colleagues, customers and suppliers who have helped us to reach this incredible fundraising milestone for our charity partner, Marie Curie. This achievement is a testament to the dedication shown by SPAR UK teams every day, and their hard work has helped us achieve this success,” said Ian Taylor, Retail and Brand Development Director at SPAR UK.

“We are passionate about supporting good causes and are committed to giving back to communities in which our stores serve. The dedication shown to supporting Marie Curie since our partnership began in 2017 has been exceptional and has made a big difference to the lives of those needing end-of-life care,” he continued.

Source: SPAR UK

Read more about SPAR UK

About SPAR UK

The United Kingdom became a SPAR member in 1956 when SPAR International granted a licence to utilise the SPAR brand to a group of independent wholesalers. There are five regional organisations in the UK, continually building the brand’s presence. A central office in London provides national marketing and buying services for the group. SPAR in the UK comprises independently owned and licensed retailers as well as company-owned stores.