SPAR UK hits £5 million fundraising milestone for Marie Curie

SPAR UK has reached a £5 million fundraising milestone for Marie Curie, the UK’s leading end-of-life charity.

Left to right: Patrick Doody of Henderson Group, Lily Whitam of Marie Curie, Dominic Hall of James Hall & Co.

From in-store collections and bake sales to donations of a percentage of every sale from several own-label products, the fundraising activities have involved numerous SPAR colleagues, customers and suppliers.

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

Ethan Murphy from James Hall & Co’s SPAR Brunshaw Road in Burnley took on the London Marathon this year in memory of his grandmother Karen, who was diagnosed with a brain tumour. Murphy raised £12,000 for the charity with his mum Victoria and uncles Timothy and Adam.

That same spirit runs through SPAR Scotland, where Karen and Billy Conway, married for 20 years with a combined 65 years of service at SPAR, became key figures behind CJ Lang’s Marie Curie efforts, taking on everything from back-to-back Ben Nevis climbs to bake-offs and Wear It Yellow days.

Director of logistics Del Phillips has also taken personal commitment to another level. Across numerous events, he has run over 220 miles, completed nearly 10,000 press-ups and over 1,000 pull-ups, in aid of Marie Curie. Having crossed the finish line at the London Marathon in 2026, his total fundraising now stands at over £57,000.

In Northern Ireland, Henderson Group colleagues have made SPAR NI’s red stetsons a familiar sight at the Balmoral Show, while stores and communities have gone further through bake sales, spin-a-thons, dress-up days and more – raising over £1 million for Marie Curie since the partnership began, including over £175,000 last year alone.

As the most regional distribution centre (RDC) to join the Marie Curie partnership, AF Blakemore has made a huge impact in just two years, raising over £550,000 across its SPAR stores, logistics and central functions.

Highlights included SPAR Amlwch, whose team recently completed a 26-mile walk along the Anglesey coastline raising £1,414, alongside AF Blakemore’s London Marathon runners – Chloe Taylor Green, Julian Taylor Green and Andy Coleman who raised almost £9,000.

AF Blakemore’s top fundraising stores for this year also went above and beyond, with SPAR Droitwich, SPAR Walsall Manor Hospital and SPAR Winthorpe Avenue raising over £27,000 through a range of community-driven activities that truly reflect how SPAR nurtures its neighbourhoods.

Ian Taylor, retail & brand development director at SPAR UK, said: “We’re immensely proud of all of our colleagues, customers and suppliers who’ve 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 each day.

“We’re 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.”