M&S supporting 40 community projects to celebrate 40 years in Ireland

Organisations that will benefit include Belvedere Youth Club, Pieta House, Barretstown, Make-A-Wish and more. 

Throughout June and July, over 500 M&S employees have volunteered more than 4,000 hours to mark M&S’ 40-year anniversary in the Republic of Ireland. Volunteers came from all 18 branches across the country and came together to support local initiatives and projects in the communities that M&S serves. These covered schools, food banks, youth clubs and education charities that assist thousands of Irish people. Dublin M&S workers painted and decorated for Belvedere Youth Club, an organisation which has supported inner city teenagers since its formation in 1918. Volunteers helped to revamp the club’s sports hall, drama and games rooms. Gillian Collins, Operations Manager of Belvedere Youth Club, said they are “hugely grateful” for the assistance. She is certain these improvements will “make a tangible difference to members’ lives.”   Support from M&S allows the club to offer members “educational support, career guidance, and the chance to find a sport they love.'' Other key projects being supported include:

• Pieta House’s Resilience Academy facilitator teams that reaches out to secondary schools and students with six-week mental health programmes.
• Groundskeeping, painting and cleaning at Barretstown ahead of this year’s summer camps for seriously ill children.
• Raising money in-store for Make-A-Wish to grant wishes for children living with life-threatening medical conditions.
• Gardening at the Alzheimer Society of Ireland’s Day Care Centre in Blackrock to create an outdoor space for people with dementia.
• Delivering food and sleeping bags to help the homeless with Inner City Helping Homeless.

“We’re really excited to celebrate our 40th anniversary by coming together as a team and giving back to our local communities,” said Ken Scully, Country Manager and Director of M&S Ireland.  “We believe each of these 40 projects, which our colleagues and customers truly care about, will do so much good and create a real, lasting difference” he added.  The M&S 40 local community projects are part of a year-long celebration to mark the 40th anniversary of M&S in the Republic of Ireland. Follow the conversation online by searching hashtags #MarksInAction #MANDS40.