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Donations Worth £65,000 Awarded to Good Causes at Christmas

December 23, 2022

A.F. Blakemore’s charitable trust, the Blakemore Foundation, has awarded donations worth circa £65,000 to more than 1,300 Christmas activities and events in communities over the festive period.

The donations have been given in the form of food and drink from the company’s SPAR stores and also monetary grants.

Via the Foundation, colleagues from across the business have donated to Christmas lunches, tombolas, raffles, parties, school events and appeals for food banks and homeless shelters.

Some of the good causes to benefit include Whitmore Reans Children's Centre in Wolverhampton, West Backwell Bowling Club, Abbots Langley Scout Group, Intake Primary School, Lindsey Lodge Hospice, Ysbyty Gwynedd Hospital, Thurcroft Junior Academy in Rotherham, Tenovus Cancer Care in Cardiff, Ty Ross Nursing Home in Treorchy, Temple Normanton Junior Academy in Chesterfield, Hope Parish Church, 1st Montgomery Rangers, Bromsgrove Swimming Club, Pinchbeck Community Library & Hub, East Anglia's Children's Hospices, Retired Felixstowe Dock Workers Association, Orchard Manor Care Home in Upton and St Peter's Church in Lingwood.

Of the £65,000 total, around £10,000 worth of stock has gone to local appeals at food banks, food kitchens and homeless shelters. Good causes include Blonde Angels Street Team in Bristol, Black Country Food Bank, Hearts and Hands Stafford, Flintshire Foodbank, Boston Foodbank, King’s Lynn Foodbank, Grimsby Food Kitchen, Chance Changing Lives in Crewe, Cardiff Foodbank and Wythenshawe Foodbank.

Also included within the £10,000 was a large annual grant given to homeless support charity Crisis at Christmas via Blakemore Foodservice’s James Bridge depot. This year, the team donated crisps, chocolate and cereal bars.

Alongside this, colleagues across the business have raised thousands for charity this Christmas. On 9th December, teams across all divisions and departments were invited to take part in the company’s Festive Friday event. Blakemore Retail colleagues are estimated to have raised £20,000 for the NSPCC, while colleagues across the rest of the AFB group raised £224 for Marie Curie.

Teams dressed up for the day and were invited to take part in a Christmas quiz, World Cup sweepstake and colouring competition. Blakemore Retail held competitions for the ugliest Christmas jumper, most festive attire and most festive team. Via the Blakemore Foundation, £2,880 worth of stock was donated towards prizes to aid Christmas NSPCC fundraising.

Colleagues also got involved in a number of community volunteering events during the festive period, donating hours of work time to good causes.

Community Affairs Officer Kate Senter commented: "Thank you to everyone who has supported a good cause via the Blakemore Foundation or volunteered time to their local community this Christmas.

“Once again we have surpassed last year in terms of the number of good causes supported during the festive season!”

Here is a snapshot of some of the fundraising, volunteering and charitable giving that has gone on across A.F. Blakemore’s estate this Christmas:


SPAR Warndon took part in a team challenge and donated £250 worth of toys to Acorns Children’s Hospice. The store colleagues also donated Christmas puddings from Blakemore Foodservice to local good causes including St Wulstan’s Church, Oasis Hub, Warndon Community Centre, Worcester Foodbank & Droitwich Community Pantry.

Philpotts Area Manager Donna Powell and Philpotts Supervisor Emma Alexander took part in their very first team challenge and volunteered a morning to supporting the ToyLink project in Birmingham, which sources, wraps and donates Christmas gifts to families in need.


The IT department bought, wrapped and donated £300 worth of gifts to Manor Care Home in Willenhall.	The Responsible Business team donated £150 worth of confectionery to Westminster School and volunteered at their Christmas fair.