Ballycastle Co-op raises more than £6,500 for charity

NOT just a million but more than three million thanks is the message from charity Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) to generous Co-operative staff, customers and members for their record £3.5 million donation.

The Ballycastle food branch was one of the biggest fundraising stores for its size, contributing an impressive 6,558 towards the multi-million pound total, raised in only 11 months.

A representative from RNID, the deafness and hearing loss charity, presented a giant 3.5 million till receipt to the Ballycastle store to mark the achievement.

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The receipt also highlights that 110,000 hearing checks were performed last year during The Co-operative initiative which aimed to increase awareness of the signs of hearing loss and hearing health as well as raise money.

Smashing the 2 million fundraising target, the 3.5 million total is a record amount raised for RNID and the largest amount ever raised for one charity by The Co-operative’s family of businesses, including food retail, travel, funerals, farming, banking and insurance. It will fund the expansion of RNID’s vital Hear to Help Service which trains volunteers, many of whom have a hearing loss, to provide support to hearing aid users in their local communities.

Money came flooding in from a variety of activities from sponsored walks to parachute jumps to head shaves and karaoke events; an intrepid group even climbed Mont Blanc. At Ballycastle, among the fundraising activities were a bring-and-buy book sale, bric-a-brac sale, raffles and fancy dress days.

Store manager Jane Steele, said: “We’ve had a great time fundraising and are proud that together, our staff, members and customers have helped raise a massive 3.5 million for RNID.

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“It has been a real co-operative effort and we would like to thank all our shoppers in Ballycastle for digging deep in their pockets and supporting our staff in raising so much for this worthwhile charity.”

RNID Chief Executive Jackie Ballard, added: “This is a fantastic achievement and I want to thank Co-operative staff from the Group Chief Executive to the sales assistants for the enthusiasm and energy they have put into our partnership.

“It has been a pleasure to work with such a dedicated team of people who can be proud in the knowledge that this money will be used by RNID to make a significant impact on the lives of people who are deaf or hard of hearing, as well as encouraging people to value their hearing and take action on hearing loss.

“Not only has The Co-operative beaten its fundraising goal by a mile, but it has embraced RNID’s cause and helped us to raise awareness of the impact of hearing loss and the importance of checking your hearing regularly.”

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