Leading convenience retailers SuperValu and Centra are once again joining forces with long-term charity partner Action Cancer to help fund life-saving breast screening appointments across Northern Ireland, as the annual Sponsor a Mammogram campaign returns today (Monday 12th October).
Taking place during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the initiative challenges every SuperValu and Centra store to raise a minimum of £120, the cost of providing one free mammogram for women aged 40-49 and 70+, who fall outside the NHS screening age range.
Early detection remains one of the most effective ways to improve breast cancer outcomes. In 2025, Action Cancer visited 130 communities and screened 2,226 women aboard its mobile detection unit, the Big Bus, with 17 women receiving a breast cancer diagnosis and beginning treatment thanks to early detection.
From Monday 12th to Sunday 18th October, colleagues in SuperValu and Centra stores across Northern Ireland will be collecting donations in-store, with customers able to contribute via bucket collections or at the tills using cash or card.
The campaign once again highlights the faces of local women whose breast cancers were detected through Action Cancer’s breast screening service, demonstrating the life-changing impact of early detection and the importance of keeping the Big Bus on the road.
Carol Marshall, Brand Communications Manager for SuperValu and Centra, said:
“For the fourth year running, our stores are coming together to support Sponsor a Mammogram and help fund life-saving breast screening appointments for women across Northern Ireland. Thanks to the incredible generosity of our retailers, colleagues and customers, we have raised more than £4.25 million for Action Cancer since our partnership began, helping to ensure the Big Bus can continue delivering vital services directly into local communities.
“Every £120 raised funds one mammogram and could help provide an early diagnosis for a local woman. We encourage everyone to get behind the campaign and support this important cause.”
Lucy McCusker, Corporate Fundraising Manager at Action Cancer, added:
“We are extremely grateful to have the continued support of SuperValu and Centra for this vital and informative campaign. Every pound raised helps us provide free breast screening appointments to women aged 40-49 who fall outside the NHS screening age range, bringing vital services directly into local communities through the Big Bus.
“These screenings provide reassurance to many women and, in some cases, can lead to an early diagnosis that changes or even saves a life. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who supports Sponsor a Mammogram.”
Action Cancer Ambassador Alison Flynn is a Civil Servant, a mum of one and step-mum of two kids from Newtownabbey. Alison’s breast cancer was detected on board Action Cancer’s Big Bus when it visited her workplace in June 2025 when she was 48 years old:
Alison said: “The Big Bus saved my life. I had no symptoms; no family history and I wasn’t yet eligible for routine NHS screening. Booking an appointment with Action Cancer was one of the most important decisions I’ve ever made. Thanks to early detection, my cancer was found at an early stage and I was able to begin treatment quickly. I will always be grateful for that chance.”
For more information, visit www.actioncancer.org.