Musgrave Director

An Appealing Proposition

As President of Appeals of the Irish Grocers Benevolent Fund, Musgrave Director Sharon Buckley is very aware of the need for the Fund and the valuable work it does for those less fortunate within the grocery trade. She discusses her plans for 2020 and her hopes for the year ahead.

SHARON Buckley is the latest in a line of Musgrave employees to take on the role of President of Appeals for the Irish Grocers Benevolent Fund. The Musgrave Group Commercial Director is cognisant of the luminaries that have gone before her, names like Hugh Mackeown, Seamus Scally and current Musgrave CEO, Noel Keeley.

“I was delighted to be asked and to take on the role,” Sharon admits. “I’m conscious that I’m following in the footsteps of many Musgrave colleagues who have been in the role over the years, most recently our new CEO, Noel Keeley. The IGBF is an organisation that we really support as a business; we value the work of the Fund and support the events.

“Way back before I joined Musgrave 23 years ago, I used to attend the Cork Ball, so I’ve been very aware of the Fund over the years. I’ve always been very conscious that the Fund is badly needed and that it does very good work. Now, as President of Appeals, I see more closely the support it provides to families and individuals and I’m even more impressed with the work that it does.”

Striking the right balance One of the complaints levelled at the IGBF over the years is that while event attendees enjoyed a great night out, they didn’t always equate the event with the work of the Fund. This was due to the fact that the charity has always been very private about the work it does, respecting the anonymity of beneficiaries.

“It’s a fine balance between giving more detail on the actual support provided without identifying individuals,” Sharon muses. “I think it’s appropriate that the Fund operates in an understated way, but at the same time, I think we do need more awareness of the nature of the support the Fund provides and

the kind of beneficiaries we support, whether it is a young family where a parent has passed away or someone with a life-changing illness.”

She cites the example of Billy Reilly, who sadly passed away from Motor Neurone’s Disease (MND) last year. Billy was one of the recipients of IGBF support who had bravely talked in 2018 about what it meant to live with a terminal illness and what the support of the IGBF had meant to him and his family at a difficult time in their lives. “Billy was highly grateful for the support the Fund provided to him. His bravery and his example were highly impactful when we used his words at IGBF events to bring the work of the organisation to life. I think we need to dial that up further and I’d like to do that during my year as President of Appeals, without compromising the confidentiality of the people supported by the Fund,” Sharon notes.

The President of Appeals stresses that a lot of the support offered by the Fund might not seem huge financially, but it does make a massive difference to the individuals and families affected: “When you hear from some of the beneficiaries, it’s very clear that beyond the money itself, the fact that somebody cares makes a huge difference to these people. They may be people who can no longer work or widows or family members of people who used to work in the trade, so that sense that the industry itself cares for them is just as important as the financial contribution.”

Sharon sees her role primarily as driving fundraising and she is hopeful that the Fund will enjoy an even stronger 2020 than previous years.

“I really see my role as supporting the hardworking committees around the country who organise the golf events, the Balls, the TWIG event, the Fun Run, the Sports Lunch,” she notes. “I want to provide as much support as possible from Musgrave in terms of our participation in those events, but also in terms of my network, people who are generally very supportive of the Fund. It is a very full calendar of events and I intend to participate in as many of them as possible. Already, I’ve been struck by the dedication and work-rate of the committees who organise these events.”

The role of CSR The whole idea of Corporate Social Responsibility has become far more important in recent years, not just to businesses but to consumers, who want to see their values reflected by the companies they support. In an age when a lot of corporate entities have established charity partners, how difficult is it to convince businesses to donate to the IGBF?

“At Musgrave, we recognise that charities do a lot of valuable work in all kinds of areas. We are very active in giving back to the communities in which we operate, whether that is through AsIAm, Action Breast Cancer or TidyTowns, or through the the huge support our retail partners give to communities throughout the length and breadth of Ireland. Within Musgrave, we support a broad base of charities and it is appropriate that we do so,” Sharon notes. “But I do think that within the grocery industry, people recognise how unique the IGBF is in terms of supporting our own, and that even in times of full employment, there is still a massive need for the work of the Fund. This is a charity for our own trade: grocery is a big industry and people within that industry recognise the work of the IGBF and support it, but it is competing with other charities. I think every business is now conscious of their role in giving back to Irish society and that augurs well for ongoing support for this charity.”

Action-packed calendar of events One of the reasons why the IGBF continues to resonate is not just the good work it does but the fact that its events are generally amongst the social highlights of the year. The 2020 IGBF calendar is pretty full, including the Grocers Fun Run on April 26, the Sporting Legends Lunch on August 28, the Grocers Christmas Lunch on December 4, and a host of golf events throughout the summer. Sharon is also looking forward to unveiling details of her President’s Event in the coming months.

“These events are excellent fund-raisers but they are also great opportunities for people to socialise as well. It’s important that these are events that people enjoy and want to attend,” the President reveals. “The IGBF is probably the only organisation that brings the whole spectrum of retailers, suppliers and wholesalers together, so the social and fun dimension is really important. It’s about getting the balance right, that people have a great time, while also recognising the importance of the Fund.”

The last five years has seen the IGBF expand its remit considerably in terms of events, with relatively recent

A lot of the same organisations tend to support the events, while the Fund supports people from all sides of the industry and it is completely indiscriminate in who it helps. I would like to see more businesses take part in the events and I will actively go out and seek support from parts of the industry that haven’t supported the IGBF before, including emerging suppliers and other business sectors. “

”additions like the Sporting Legends Lunch and the TWIG (Today’s Women in Grocery) Networking Lunch firmly established as key highlights of the calendar.

“The new events have attracted a lot of people who might not traditionally have attended IGBF events,” Sharon notes. “There is now a really actionpacked calendar of events, which is a mixture of more traditional events like the Balls or the golf events and newer events like the TWIG Networking Lunch, the Grocers Fun Run, the Sporting Legends Lunch: it means that there is an opportunity for everybody to be involved.” The newer events, like the Sports Lunch in particular, are “an opportunity for people to use it as a social event or a reward for their own teams”.

The TWIG phenomenon She describes the TWIG (Today’s Women in Grocery) lunch as “a brilliant initiative”. “It’s the perfect mix of raising much-needed funds and being a really great event in its own right,” she explains.

Sharon is speaking at this year’s TWIG Lunch on May 1 in the InterContinental Hotel, Dublin, as

Sharon Buckley, IGBF President of Appeals, with IGBF Chairperson, Leonard Hegarty, at the IGBF Southern Region Ball.

President of Appeals. She is no stranger to the TWIG stage, however, having addressed the very first TWIG event in September 2016.

“At that time, there were about 180 attendees and nobody realised that TWIG would become as successful as it has. But there was a real gap in the market for an event for women and it has grown remarkably since,” she says. “The various women who have spoken at it over the years have been incredibly generous, in terms of telling their personal stories, being open and honest about their journey. Even though they are big events, they are quite intimate and there is something magical about that.”

During her 12-month tenure as President of Appeals, the Musgrave Director is keen to reach out to those companies and sectors who have not traditionally IGBF Calendar of Events April 26 Grocers Fun Run May 1 TWIG Lunch May 28 Dublin Annual Golf Day June 8 North West Region Golf Day June 18 South East Region Golf Day July 3 IGBF Stocked Festival 2020 July 16 Musgrave Golf Outing August 26 North East Region Golf Day August 28 Sporting Legends Lunch September 8 Stonehouse Golf Outing September 23 Western Region Golf Outing December 4 Grocers’ Christmas Lunch supported the Fund. “A lot of the same organisations tend to support the events, while the Fund supports people from all sides of the industry and it is completely indiscriminate in who it helps. I would like to see more businesses take part in the events and I will actively go out and seek support from parts of the industry that haven’t supported the IGBF before, including emerging suppliers and other business sectors.”

The next generation The IGBF President of Appeals doesn’t just want to attract new blood in terms of fundraisers but would also like to get some new people involved in organising committees across the country.

“A lot of events have been run by the same people for years, because these people are passionate about the events they run,” she admits. “But there are quite a few young people involved as well.”

The Musgrave Golf Outing at Mount Juliet is a case in point. Organised for years with considerable aplomb by John Cooney, the event is now being run by James Bruen since John’s retirement. “There is a nice mix of people who have been running certain events for quite a while and younger people as well. Even within businesses, the next generation picks up the baton,” Sharon notes. “The advent of newer events has automatically meant new committees and new people coming on board. But I think there is more to do. In Musgrave, we have always supported events, both from our own team and our retail partners, but we’d like to further extend the involvement of our colleagues and our retail partners over the course of this year.”

At the end of her tenure, what else would Sharon she like to have achieved? “First of all, I’d like to have played a role in driving growth in fundraising in 2020. I would like to have supported the events and people who run them as much as I possibly can, both through my own attendance and through working with colleagues to ensure they are as well supported as they can be. I would like to play a role at these events, in terms of getting the message of the IGBF across, what it does and how important it is, so participants recognise the work of the Fund and where their money is going. I would also like to have extended the reach of the IGBF to more organisations who would be in a position to support events and the organisation into the future. That would have been a very successful year.”

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