This Christmas, M&S Food is putting charity firmly at its heart. In a year when charity funding has declined almost 25%, M&S Food is proud to donate £10,000 to The Big Choir in aid of Cancer Research UK. The funds have been donated in recognition of the volunteering efforts of local M&S Southgate colleague, Antonella Negri, as part of an overall £2million donation to good causes this Christmas. A sign at the front of the store will be unveiled on 3rd December, highlighting Antonella and the charity’s brilliant work to all customers shopping at M&S Southgate this Christmas.
The good causes have been chosen by nine world-famous actors including Dame Helen Mirren, Dame Julie Walters, Oliva Colman and Tom Hardy, who have added their unmistakable voices to nine brand new Christmas Food adverts. They have also been selected by 10 M&S colleagues from across the UK, who have been recognised as the retailer’s most active charity volunteers. Donations of £10,000 are going towards each of the colleagues’ chosen charities.
As part of her role as BIG Chair and Plan A Champion at M&S Southgate, Antonella Negri helps deliver and engage colleagues on business initiatives and is at the forefront of the store’s fundraising programme. She has been chosen by M&S Food for her dedication to The Big Choir, who are a community choir that raise money in aid of Cancer Research UK. The Big Choir have raised over £100,000 for Cancer Research UK through choir membership, live performances and much more. M&S are delighted to add to that total with the donation of £10,000, which will go towards vital cancer research at The Francis Crick Institute. M&S has supported previously by making a donation of £660 and providing refreshments for an afternoon tea and Christmas performance hosted by The Big Choir.
Antonella Negri, who has worked at M&S for 20 years, said: “I am thrilled to have been chosen by M&S Food to donate £10,000 to The Big Choir, all funds donated will go towards Cancer Research UK’s work at The Francis Crick Institute. At M&S we’re proud of the role we play in our local community and it’s fantastic we can donate a monumental amount, especially during these unprecedented times. 2020 has been a difficult year for all of us and we are thrilled to further The Big Choir’s support of Cancer Research UK.”
Tom Dawson, Senior Local Fundraising Manager at Cancer Research UK: “The Big Choir have been brilliant supporters of ours for several years, amazingly they haven’t let Covid-19 hold them back and have continued to support us throughout. This generous donation from M&S is essential for us to continue our lifesaving work and will fund vital research at The Francis Crick Institute. It’s fantastic to see the support given to Cancer Research UK and The Big Choir by Antonella and the whole team at M&S Southgate.”
Ben Toms, Store Manager at M&S Southgate, added: “We are very proud of the incredible charity work Antonella has done over the years and I’m thrilled M&S Food has chosen to donate £10,000 to The Big Choir in aid of Cancer Research UK. The work the charity does is incredibly important and we’re delighted to have been able to support them.”
In total, the Christmas advertising campaign will donate £1 million to good causes and as part of M&S’s long-term commitment to doing good. An additional £1million will also be donated across a diverse range of charities including Shelter, Together for Short Lives and the 35 Sparks charities that M&S supports. Also this Christmas, every time a Sparks customer shops at M&S in-store or online at M&S.com, M&S will donate to their selected charity, from a range of 35 different causes. Through Sparks, M&S has donated £7.3 million since 2015.
