Tesco staff help raise £390,000 for dementia care

Staff from Tesco stores have been recognised at the Tesco Charity of the Year staff fundraising awards 2011 for their incredible effort to raise money on behalf of people living with dementia. The Tesco store in Ballymoney contributed an amazing £6,240 to the overall total of £390,000 raised by staff and customers throughout Tesco stores in Northern Ireland.

Judges said the local staff stood out because of the number that got involved, particularly during the Big Collection week, when they raised £140,000 more than for the last Charity of the Year.

Speaking on behalf of the Northern Ireland stores, Caoimhe Mannion, Tesco Marketing Manager said:

People have been really generous with their time and money to help people living with dementia.”

Tesco staff and customers across the UK have raised over £7.5million for people living with dementia, surpassing the £5million target set at the beginning of its Charity of the Year partnership with Alzheimer’s Society and Alzheimer Scotland in 2011 (From 1 March 2011 to 29 February 2012).

Thousands of Tesco staff and customers took on fundraising challenges throughout the year to raise money, to fund much needed services. Over the course of the year, the partnership has seen:

4,157 fundraising events

550 members of staff taking on extreme challenges including 157 members of staff doing a sky-dive and 24 trekking mount Kilimanjaro

The launch of the first ever educational Dementia Community Roadshow visiting 154 towns, travelling 24, 830 miles

25 new dementia supporter workers funded to support 100,000 more people living with dementia and their carers

Eighteen members of staff will receive awards for their exceptional contribution to the charity partnership.

Speaking at the Tesco Charity of The Year staff fundraising awards ceremony TV presenter and journalist, Ruth Langsford, said:

“It’s so heart warming to see all the hard work and generosity of Tesco staff and customers which has helped raise over £7.5 million for people living with dementia. I’ve been truly impressed by all the weird and wonderful things people have done to raise money and the passion they have shown. I’m really proud to have been a part of it.”