Dike’s of Stalbridge raises £2,500 for local children’s hospice

09/03/09

INDEPENDENT supermarket Dike & Son of Stalbridge has donated £2,500 to Julia’s House, Dorset’s only hospice dedicated to children with life-limiting conditions. With the help of its customers, Dike & Son has been raising money for the hospice over the past 10 months through the sale of specific products in its superstore, through the charity initiative Making A Difference – Locally (MADL).

Andrew Dike, director of Dike & Son, said: “The Dorchester children’s hospice only gets three per cent of its funding from the Government, so it is reliant on the generosity of the people of Dorset to raise all its other funds. We are thrilled that the Making A Difference – Locally charity has allowed us to raise such a great amount for the charity, as we know that it will make a valuable contribution to the care of the children and their families.”

Lin Hudswell, Community Fundraising Manager for Julia’s House, paid a visit to the store on Wednesday (4 March) to receive the cheque and a giant cuddly polar bear from the staff, She said: “It’s fantastic to have the support of Dike’s and every penny really does count. Every £100 pays for a home session with a carer for a child that is sadly going to have too short a life.”

The MADL charity was formed in May 2008 with the intention of assisting more than 2,000 independent retailers throughout the UK with raising money for their local communities. The charity works by allocating a specified amount of the cost of certain products promoted in-store to the retailer’s MADL charity fund.

The charity was created by Nisa-Today’s, the UK's leading member-owned organisation, providing benefits to independent retailers and wholesalers in food and drink markets.

ENDS

Contact Adam Vincent, Store Manger on 01963 362204 for more information

For information on MADL visit www.makingadifferencelocally.com

For information on Julia’s House, visit www.julias-house.org

Picture shows: Lin Hudswell of children's hospice Julia's House receives a cheque for £2,500 and a giant cuddly polar bear from the team at Dike & Son Superstore in Dorset. Pictured from left to right are: Laura Porter, Deirdre Dike, Carolyn Brice, Andrew Dike, Lin Hudswell, Sarah Scard, Adam Vincent and Theresa