Applegreen announce significant partnership with Barretstown

THE Applegreen Charitable Fund has announced a three-year partnership with Barretstown, becoming one of the largest annual contributors to the children’s charity. This significant partnership, launched at the charity’s headquarters at Barretstown Castle, Ballymore Eustace in Co. Kildare, will see Applegreen commit to raising €1 million for the charity from 2023-2025.

As part of the fundraising pledge, The Applegreen Charitable Fund will support Barretstown’s world famous onsite residential camp programmes for children and their families affected by serious illnesses, and will result in supporting 3,000 priceless days of therapeutic programmes for a seriously ill child and their families from across Ireland, over the next three years. Placing families at the heart of the partnership, Applegreen will become title sponsor for a week-long Applegreen Summer Camp this July, as well as supporting the magical Barretstown Winter Wonderland experience in November.

Founded in 1994 by Hollywood actor Paul Newman, Barretstown offers free, specially designed camps and programmes for children and their families living with a serious illness – supported behind the scenes by 24-hour on-site medical and nursing care.

“We are delighted to announce this partnership with Barretstown and equally thrilled to be able to pledge €1 million over the course of the next three years,” said Aaron Duggan,

Applegreen Ireland Retail Operations Director. “Our customers and communities are at the heart of everything we do and supporting families will be a key element of the partnership. We are very proud to be able provide 3,000 days of therapeutic programmes for a seriously ill child and their family members.”

Barretstown CEO Dee Ahearn, Applegreen Retail Operations Director, Aaron Duggan, Applegreen Commercial Director, Seamus Stapleton and Applegreen CSR Manager Rosie Begley were joined by Barretstown families, including the Cogley Family from Wexford, 11 year old Ciara and her sister Grace 15, and the Curran family from Dublin, 13 year old Danny and his sister Anna, 10.

Circle K fuel promotion proves massively popular

ON Thursday, December 15, Circle K announced details of a special Christmas fuel discount. From 1-4pm on that date, the price of their premium miles and milesPlus fuel was reduced by 20c a litre at 350 participating service stations across the Republic of Ireland, including Circle K Express. The promotion proved extremely popular as news spread, with queues outside many of the company’s forecourts as motorists rushed to take advantage of the promotional prices. when and where cost to participate

GRENADE have launched an Oreo Protein Bar, combining the high protein, low sugar bar with the unmistakable great taste of Oreo cookies. With 21g protein, just 1g of sugar and a whole lot of that iconic Oreo flavour, the bar features a creme layer flavoured with genuine Oreo vanilla flavour and a nougat centre loaded with authentic Oreo cocoa flavour. With this instantly recognisable black & white centre and a taste to match, this is a bar that the most die-hard Oreo fans will love.

FOLLÁIN, the West Cork based producers of wholesome and delicious jams and preserves, have raised €15,000 for the Simon Communities as a result of the success of their recent Christmas charity donation campaign. Folláin committed to donating half of all of their online sales throughout the month of December, and this commitment was supported with a targeted digital, social media, PR and influencer marketing strategy, along with a suite of new products to offer customers. The January donation to Simon Communities kicks off a busy year for Folláin, which also marks the company’s 40-year anniversary, and as part of their birthday celebrations, Folláin hope to continue their working relationship with Simon Communities.

ALDI Ireland are rolling out a nationwide partnership with Too Good To Go, making Aldi the first Irish supermarket to partner with the food surplus app. Following a successful trial last year, the retailer is making surplus food bags available nationwide in a bid to tackle food waste and offer even lower prices to customers. The surplus food bags, known as ‘Surprise Bags’, will contain a range of products that are approaching their sell-by or use-by dates at a third of the price, costing just €3.99 each to purchase. To avail of a Surprise Bag, shoppers can download the free Too Good To Go app and search for their nearby Aldi store before reserving a bag to collect from the store at an allotted time.

MARS Pet Nutrition continue to reduce packaging waste in Europe with leading brands Sheba, Whiskas, Perfect Fit and Catsan saving 480 tons of plastic per year. New measures in the Irish market include new Pedigree Schmackos 20 stick packs and megaboxes, which are set to be introduced in 2023, with over 230kg of plastic and 600kg of cardboard waste expected to be saved as a result. This follows the successful introduction of new Dreamies packaging last year, which saved the equivalent of 8,000 plastic bottles in Ireland in 2022. These Irish measures are part of wider European initiatives to remove excess packaging - Mars Pet Nutrition Europe also transformed their Sheba and Perfect Fit Mini Pouches last year, replacing plastic flow-wraps with high performing and widely recyclable paper sleeves. Whiskas dry food plastic bags have also been replaced with carton boxes in select European markets, and Catsan cat litter brand has removed unnecessary layers of plastic in its secondary packaging on a trial basis in France.

MARKS and Spencer Ireland have launched Sparks Stamps. For February only, M&S extended rewards across their Irish stores so that every customer is able to track their sandwich (including a delicious range of Irish sandwiches) or wrap purchases within the M&S Sparks App and enjoy a complimentary sandwich after every six purchased. M&S are now the first major retailer in Ireland to offer a reward scheme using digital stamps.

DASH, the zero-sugar, zero-calorie seltzer company based in the UK and known for infusing wonky fruit in its drinks, has announced the completion of an €9.8 million Series A funding round. New investors who took part included Johnny Sexton, Ireland’s rugby captain, and David Milner, Dash’s chairman and former CEO of F&B titans Tyrells, Lily’s Kitchen, and St Pierre Bakery. Listed in more than 10,000 stores globally, B-Corp certified Dash currently leads the UK seltzer category with a 39% share of value sales and is aiming to take the Irish market by storm. Pictured are Dash founders Jack Scott and Alex Wright.

TESCO’S Grand Effie Award-winning ‘Food Love Stories’ campaign is back with its latest instalment made especially for audiences in Ireland, created by BBH Dublin. ‘Food Love Stories’ heroes quality Irish produce that elevates meals to something special, while inspiring audiences to get cooking by ditching the unrealistic food porn tropes that dominate the category. BBH Dublin brings this to life in ‘Sam’s ‘Saviour’ Steak Salad’, a 30-second film that tells the all-too-relatable tale of Sam, who is doing her best to pick up the pieces after Jess, her friend and housemate suffers a mishap, lovingly making a salad with a 32-daymatured Tesco Finest Irish Angus ribeye steak as the star of the show.

CONGRATULATIONS to Mr Price, who have won the Advancing Disability Equality Award at the National Diversity & Inclusion Awards 2023, thanks to the retailer’s partnership with Rehab Group and National Learning Network to increase employment rates of people with disabilities in every county. “Mr Price are innovative change-makers in the recruitment sector. Our partnership with Rehab Group and National Learning Network is pragmatic and impact orientated. Our team all across our 63 stores, Head Office and Distribution Centre are leading this change for the better, ensuring inclusion diversity and equality are at the heart of their teams,” noted Edel McSorley, Operations Director for Mr Price, pictured with the Mr Price team.

THE Shop & Display Equipment Association (SDEA) have announced the addition of a new SDEA Networking Lounge at the upcoming VM & Display Show, to be held in April at London’s Business Design Centre. This new feature will provide members with an opportunity to connect with other industry professionals and an extremely cost-effective route to take part in the VM & Display Show. “The SDEA is committed to providing its members with the resources and opportunities they need to succeed in the retail display industry,” noted Antony Behiels, Director of the Shop & Display Equipment Association.

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