Patchway’s SPAR store recently hosted a charity birthday party in celebration of its parent company’s 100-year anniversary.
Colleagues at the convenience store in Rodway Road hosted a birthday party themed coffee morning and a series of fundraising activities on Friday 1st September, all in aid of children’s charity, the NSPCC.
SPAR Patchway is owned and operated by Blakemore Retail, which is part of the A.F. Blakemore & Son Ltd group of companies. Throughout 2017 A.F. Blakemore is celebrating 100 years as a successful family business.
A.F. Blakemore commercial director Caoire Blakemore commented:
“To mark our centenary, we organised a series of commemorative events to celebrate the company’s unique culture and history and positively engage with employees and the local communities we serve.”
“On 1st September more than 300 charity birthday parties took place across A.F. Blakemore’s trading area to celebrate one of the company’s five core values: making a significant, positive contribution to the community.”
SPAR UK and the NSPCC have been working together to keep children safe in communities around their stores for the past 11 years.
Since 2006, Blakemore Retail employees have raised more than £2.7 million for NSPCC services through fundraising activities such as raffles, cake sales, sponsored bike rides and fancy dress days.
A.F. Blakemore & Son Ltd was founded in 1917 when Arthur and Harriet Blakemore opened a counter grocery store in Wolverhampton, and is today the 44th largest privately owned business in the UK.
Peter Blakemore is the third generation of the Blakemore family to lead the company, which is the largest member of SPAR UK, owning 290 SPAR stores and serving more than 1,000 in total across England and Wales.
