SPAR donates £1,000 to Sunderland’s St Benedict’s Hospice

Oct 11, 2024

Sheelagh Taylor, Head of Retail and Fundraising at St Benedict’s Hospice, receiving the cheque outside SPAR Ryhope Road from Store Manager Marie Husthwaite and Assistant Manager Gemma Redpath

St Benedict’s Hospice in Sunderland has received £1,000 in funding through SPAR’s Community Cashback initiative.

The hospice, which was set up in 1984, offers end of life care and a holistic range of bespoke care services tailored to patients and their families.

The funding donation will be utilised to continue to allow the hospice to deliver care to the Sunderland community.

James Hall & Co. Ltd, SPAR’s primary retailer, wholesaler and distributor for the North of England, received 3,000 applications alone from charities and organisations as Community Cashback returned more popular than ever in its third consecutive year since inception.

Sheelagh Taylor, Head of Retail and Fundraising at St Benedict’s Hospice received the cheque outside SPAR Ryhope Road from Store Manager Marie Husthwaite and Assistant Manager Gemma Redpath.

Sheelagh said: “We are delighted with the Community Cashback funding from SPAR and it is a welcome donation. The grant will used across the hospice including our dedicated transport services, art therapy, and in our garden areas at the hospice which provide a quiet restful area for patients and their families.

“We rely heavily on fundraising, and as the Hospice marked its 40th anniversary this year, we need to keep the support of the community coming to ensure the Hospice is here for the next 40 years.”

Philippa Harrington, Marketing Manager at James Hall & Co. Ltd, said: “We had an enormous number of entries for SPAR’s Community Cashback this year and it meant selecting winners of the funding was an incredibly difficult decision-making process.

“It is clear to see how valued St Benedict’s Hospice is by people in the Sunderland area and we even received a round of applause from a customer as the photo was being taken outside the store. We are happy to support such a worthwhile cause and hope the money enhances the hospice’s services for patients and families.”

James Hall & Co. Ltd is a fifth-generation family business which serves a network of independent SPAR retailers and company-owned SPAR stores across Northern England six days a week from its base at Bowland View in Preston.

For more information about James Hall & Co. Ltd, please visit www.jameshall.co.uk.