NI businesses raise over £32,000 for Cancer Focus NI. Staff from Allstate NI, Arup, Choice Housing, Enterprise, Idverde and JP Corry pictured with (left) Richard Spratt, Chief Executive of Cancer Focus Northern Ireland.

The challenge sees teams of business volunteers take over the running of one of Cancer Focus NI’s charity shops for a day in May, following fundraising and stock collections in the run up to the day itself. The companies involved this year were Allstate NI, Arup, Choice Housing, Enterprise, Idverde and JP Corry.

Working as a team, but competing in a friendly way with each other, the teams tried to raise funds and awareness of cancer and cancer research. Allstate NI came out on top and won the Challenge, raising an outstanding £5,143 and increasing sales by 342% on the day.

Award categories included the following:

• Charity Shops’ Challenge Winner: Allstate NI
• Best Community Collaboration: Idverde
• High Five Award: Allstate NI
• Best Social Media Plan: Choice Housing
• Best Shop Theme: Idverde
• Best Window Display: JP Corry
• Judge’s Choice Award: Arup

Lauren Cunningham, Community Engagement Manager, Business in the Community, said: “We are delighted that our member companies have once again supported this fun and worthy initiative. This is the third year of our partnership with Cancer Focus to run this event, having built the challenge over the past ten years.

“In addition to the monies raised, the Charity Shops’ Challenge also raises awareness of cancer and the research that takes place right here in Northern Ireland. It also enables some of our key businesses to get right into the hearts of the community and allows employees to experience a different kind of working day as they get to know their colleagues as they work together for a great cause.”

Richard Spratt, Chief Executive, Cancer Focus NI, said: “Cancer Focus NI is so grateful to all the businesses that took part in the Charity Shops’ Challenge. This amazing total will help us fund ground-breaking cancer research at Queen’s University. In partnership with Business in the Community the Charity Shops’ Challenge raises funds, gives us new ideas to improve our retail business, supports team building in participating businesses and has a really positive environmental impact by reusing clothes and goods that might otherwise have gone to landfill.”

For more information, please email Lauren Cunningham or visit www.bitcni.org.uk/community-engagement