Marks & Spencer has presented the Irish Heart Foundation with a cheque for €100,000 to support the charity’s services for people across Ireland.
The donation is the latest in a long standing partnership between the retailer and the charity.
Presentation
Speaking at the presentation on Wednesday, the Marks & Spencer county director of Ireland and Northern Ireland Eddie Murphy highlighted the importance of the partnership.
He said that personal stories from colleagues, as well as seeing the impact poor health can have, inspired the retailer to engage with the charity.
He went on to say, “Now, through the generosity of our customers, our store and support centre teams across Ireland, we’re delighted to be able to present the funds raised to the Irish Heart Foundation to continue to deliver their vital services to people in every community across the country.”
The Irish Heart Foundation's commercial director, Judith Gilsenan accepted the cheque on behalf of the Irish Heart Foundation.
She praised the partnership with Marks & Spencer and their continued support for the charity.
“This vital donation will not only help prevent more lives from being affected by heart disease and stroke,” she said.
“It will also help to provide support and care for people living with these life-altering conditions.”
Long Partnership
The partnership between Marks & Spencer and the Irish Heart Foundation began in 2022 with the high profile ‘Her Heart Matters’ campaign.
The initiative aimed to encourage women to make small, sustainable changes for the good of their heart health.
Past initiatives included donating 5c from every hot drink sold in Marks & Spencer cafés for the month of September 2023, and in February staff from all 18 Irish stores took part in the Foundation’s Run 100 campaign.
The retailer also provides free blood pressure checks and information on heart health to all Marks & Spencer staff to support their commitment to health and wellbeing.
Almost 9,000 people in Ireland die from heart disease and stroke each year.
For more information on the Irish Heart Foundation, visit irishheart.ie.
