An independent SPAR retailer in the Lancashire area has given three local charities a boost by donating £75,000.
Lawrence Hunt & Co Ltd is a Lancashire based family business operating 26 SPAR stores and has donated £25,000 to Cash for Kids, St Catherine’s Hospice and St John’s Hospice.
In a positive move for the community, the independent SPAR retailer is encouraging the general public in the area to support local charities after seeing how they have suffered a loss of fundraising income following the Covid-19 pandemic.
Kevin Hunt, Managing Director of Lawrence Hunt & Co, said: “We have worked really hard to support our local communities by remaining open and keeping a supply of essential items available for everyone throughout the pandemic. In return we are delighted to support Cash for Kids, St Catherine’s Hospice and St John’s Hospice. We have supported these three organisations for many years and know the effect Covid-19 has had on their fundraising efforts. We wanted to do something to help and hope this donation will encourage others to look towards charitable groups and hospices in the region.
“During the pandemic local community groups and charities have suffered as they rely so much on donations from the general public. As an independent convenience store business based in Lancashire, we have always been proud to support our local community. Hundreds of fundraising events have been cancelled over the past few months and we know this injection of funds will help them continue to play a vital role in the community,” he added.
Lawrence Hunt SPAR stores have given a donation of £25,000, the biggest single donation ever received by Rock FMs Cash for Kids, to ensure that the charity can continue its work through the coming months.
Nikki Thompson Charity Manager, at Cash for Kids, said: “I am so grateful to Kevin and all the staff at Lawrence Hunt SPAR stores for their continued support. The last few months have been the hardest in my ten years at Cash for Kids. Seeing all our fundraising plans and events disappear at the time when we need to help the most has been so difficult. This donation from Lawrence Hunt SPAR stores gives me hope for the future and will make the world of difference to us and the children we support.”
Rock FMs Cash for Kids has worked in partnership with the Lawrence Hunt SPAR stores across Lancashire for many years. This partnership has seen Cash for Kids collection tubs in store and staff involved in many fundraising events such as Superhero Day and Mission Christmas.
Emma Jacovelli, Head of Community Engagement at St Catherine’s Hospice said: “We’re overwhelmed with the generosity of this fantastic donation, which is all the more appreciated given the unprecedented climate we’re operating in at the moment.
“We’ve lost valuable income from fundraising events, our shops and our cafe The Mill over the past five months, but the demand for our services for patients and families remains as high as ever. Support from businesses like Lawrence Hunt Spar has never been more important.
“Thank you so much to them for this incredible donation, which will help us continue to care for local people in Preston, Chorley and South Ribble facing life-shortening conditions at the hospice and in their own homes – as we work through the pandemic and beyond.”
Catherine Butterworth, Director of Income Generation, St John’s said: “What a generous way to support our charity! The timing could not be better – we have had to cancel so many of our major fundraising events because of coronavirus. The virus has also meant that we have had to temporarily close our lovely café, our popular shops have been closed for months, so every way we turn our fundraising streams are drying up. The generosity of Lawrence Hunt SPAR stores is very humbling and this donation will help our services at St John’s to continue to provide outstanding care to our community. Whilst we know it is challenging times for many people, I would like to reassure everyone that if you can support or donate to any of these three wonderful charities they will ensure that the donation is spent locally in your community. We really need support now more than ever and ask if you can help please do.”
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