Chris Kamara MBE opens Marie Curie superstore in Bradford

Football legend and Marie Curie ambassador, Chris Kamara MBE, officially opened the first ever retail superstore for Marie Curie in Bradford last week.

Known for his vibrant personality and having been awarded an MBE in part for his dedication to Marie Curie, Kamara cut the ribbon on Friday 5th June and welcomed locals through the door to the charity’s largest retail store to date.

He has been an ambassador for Marie Curie since 2010, passionately supporting the charity’s mission after his mother Irene was cared for by the charity after being diagnosed with breast cancer. His advocacy is inspired not only by his own experience, but also his commitment to helping others navigate difficult life journeys.

Chris Kamara, Marie Curie ambassador, said: “It was an honour to officially open Marie Curie’s first ever retail superstore in Bradford last week.”

Marie Curie’s work is invaluable, providing expert care and support to people, and their families, at the most difficult times in their lives. The care they gave my mum was incredible and I can’t say how much my family appreciated their support.”

I know the opening of this superstore is a big milestone for Marie Curie and I’d encourage anyone in the area to come down and support. Every purchase and donation will make an enormous difference to Marie Curie and enable them to continue to provide vital end of life care.”

The store, located in the Enterprise 5 Retail Park, stocks a range of bought in and donated good including gardening equipment, stationary, gifting and home furnishings.

All profits made in the superstore will help Marie Curie Nurses and healthcare professionals to continue to provide expert care and support for people at the end of life, and their loved ones. They will also help to fund the charity’s free national Support Line and webchat.

To celebrate the opening, Morrisons, who has a national partnership with the charity, donated a selection of refreshments for staff and customers to enjoy whilst browsing the new store. In addition, they are offering Marie Curie superstore customers the chance to pick up a Morrisons voucher, saving £2.50 off any £5 spend from 5-14th June.

Joseph Clark-Bland, Morrisons Corporate Affairs Manager said: “We’re proud to see our national charity partner open this new superstore at Enterprise 5 Retail Park, Bradford, right alongside our own store. Through our partnership we’ve worked together to raise vital funds and awareness to ensure more families get the care they need at the end of life and it’s a pleasure to support them in this new journey here in Bradford.”

Simon Meek, Marie Curie Retail Business Development Manager, said: “We want to say a heartfelt thank you to our celebrity ambassador, Chris Kamara, charity partner, Morrisons, and the brilliant people of Bradford who joined us for the opening of our first-ever retail superstore last week.”

The superstore is a new concept for Marie Curie and we’re incredibly grateful for the support we’ve received so far. We’re really looking forward to welcoming more people through the doors to see what they think of what the new store has to offer.”

All of our shops rely on generous donations from the public, so if you’d like to support us, we’d be grateful for any good quality donations from the local community and surrounding areas.”

Marie Curie supports people with any illness they are likely to die from including Alzheimer’s (and other forms of dementia), heart, liver, kidney and lung disease, motor neurone disease, Parkinson’s, and advanced cancer.

In Bradford, the charity provides expert care and support to people in the community, at its hospice on Maudsley Street and over the phone via its free Information & Support helpline which is there for anyone who is affected by dying, death and bereavement.  In addition, the Marie Curie Responsive Emergency Assessment and Community team (REACT) work closely with the Bradford Royal Infirmary in the heart of the community to help people at the end of life avoid being admitted into hospital unnecessarily.

More information about volunteering at the Marie Curie superstore can be found at mariecurie.org.uk/get-involved/volunteer