Maxol’s annual Christmas coffee fundraiser has raised €60,000 for the mental health charity Aware. Launched in the lead up to Christmas 2022, Maxol’s pay it forward initiative aimed to promote the spirit of kindness across Ireland by encouraging customers to purchase a coffee or hot drink for someone else.

In line with previous Christmas fundraisers, for every cup of ROSA Coffee or hot drink bought at one of Maxol’s service stations in November and December, 10c was donated directly to the charity.

Aware is the national organisation providing support, education and information services to people impacted by depression, bipolar disorder and related conditions. Aware directly supports 50,000 people from communities all over Ireland each year via its support services and positive mental health programmes, with many more accessing its website for information and resources.

Brian Donaldson, CEO of The Maxol Group, said:

“We’re proud to support Aware and the selfless work its team of volunteers do every day across the country. We’ve been working with Aware for seven years, and we’ve seen first-hand how important fundraising initiatives such as our Christmas coffee campaign is for the charity. Thank you to all our valued customers, retailers and staff who have supported this wonderful cause in 2022 and have helped many people who have been going through tough times.”

Drew Flood, Business Development Manager of Aware, said:

“We rely heavily on the generosity of the public and corporate organisations like Maxol to ensure we can continue to provide our free and essential services. €60,000 is a fantastic fundraising result and we are very grateful to Maxol, its retailers and all the customers throughout the country who purchased a Rosa coffee over the Christmas period. Every single euro raised makes a difference, contributing towards the support of another person or delivery of another positive mental health programme. Importantly, it has also raised awareness of mental health in communities all over Ireland. Thank you.”

Ireland’s leading family-owned forecourt retailer, Maxol has been operating at the heart of communities for more than 102 years.

www.maxol.ie

Pictured: Drew Flood, Aware, Brian Donaldson and Rue

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The research findings were released to coincide with the launch of the 12 Days of Kindness, which is part of Maxol’s annual Christmas campaign to raise much needed funds for mental health charity Aware.

During November and December, 10c from every cup of ROSA Coffee and hot beverage purchased in a Maxol service station is donated to Aware by Maxol. And, in a bid to blast this year’s €70,000 fundraising target and help spread some extra kindness, Maxol is inviting customers to buy a ROSA Coffee for a stranger in the 12 Days of Kindness.

How it works

From 1^st to 12^th December, customers simply buy two coffees at participating Maxol service stations, one for themselves and one for a stranger. The customer can also write a message of kindness on a little card to let another person know that there’s a free coffee waiting for them.  All cards will be hung from the service station’s Kindness Christmas Tree.

The card can be used by another customer to pay for their hot drink and brighten up their day or it might inspire them to pay it forward and buy a coffee for someone else. Any cards of kindness not redeemed will be donated to local charities.

Most people (87%) feel good when they perform an act of kindness and there is widespread agreement (89%) that we need to be kinder to one another, according to the Maxol research.

Contagious kindness

Three quarters (75%) of people say that kindness is contagious and that’s the essence of Maxol’s 12 Days of Kindness initiative according to CEO, Brian Donaldson.

“This is our fifth year to support the work of Aware with our Christmas Coffee Cup campaign and with the help of our customers, we are hopeful that this will be our biggest fundraising year ever,” he said.

“If there is one positive to be taken from the past 20 months it’s the many acts of kindness, big and small, that we have witnessed or experienced during the pandemic. Aware is a vital charity that needs support, particularly as a result of the pandemic so it can continue to provide support, education and information services to those impacted by anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder and related mood conditions.”

Gift of kindness

Leading clinical psychologist Dr Eddie Murphy believes that the best gift we can give this Christmas is the gift of kindness.

““There are so many things out of our control right now but being kind is the one thing in our lives that’s within our control.   There are many benefits to being; 85% of people feel that we need to be kinder to ourselves and I echo that sentiment,” said Dr Murphy.

“Kindness doesn’t have to involve grand gestures.  By being inclusive, generous of spirit or perhaps by buying a stranger a cup of ROSA Coffee, which in turn will benefit Aware, we can all cultivate and encourage kindness.”

Aware provides free support, education and information services to people impacted by depression, bipolar disorder, and other mood-related disorders. The charity has reported consistently high levels of demand for its services since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Maxol has raised almost €600,000 for Aware since partnering with the charity in 2016.

The Nationwide Study was conducted as part of the iReach Consumer Decisions Omnibus Survey among 1,000 adults from 18 – 21 November 2021. 

Caption: Stephen McBride (Aware), Dr Eddie Murphy, Brian Donaldson, Susannah Jackson (Aware) and Leah & Aoife McArdle

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Over the past eight months, Aware has seen a 60% increase in calls to its Support Line, highlighting the impact of the pandemic and related socioeconomic factors on public wellbeing. Its Support Mail service has also reported an increase of 30% with a peak of 100% in May. Many are also looking to proactively protect their mental health and, to date, almost 4,000 people have availed of Aware’s online positive mental health programme.

Louise Cooney commented “This pandemic, and the subsequent lockdowns, has had a serious impact on people’s mental health. As the evenings get shorter, darker and colder, people are struggling and it’s now they need our help and for a long time to come as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We cannot underestimate the importance of the work that mental health charities such as Aware do tirelessly every day to support people who are struggling. As a self-funded charity, they need all the help they can get right now, so please, if you can, support this campaign and let your cup of coffee or tea make a difference.”

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Ireland’s leading family-owned forecourt and convenience retailer is hopes to raise more than €70,000 for the mental health charity over the next eight weeks. With every cup of Rosa coffee/hot drink purchased during November and December this year, 10c will be donated to the charity.

AWARE has been operating in Ireland since 1985 Ireland and has a network of online and face-to-face support groups across the country, as well as delivering mental health and wellbeing programmes into communities, schools, colleges, universities and workplaces. They are facing serious funding challenges at a time when demand on its services has increased significantly, as a direct result of the pandemic.

Over the past eight months, Aware has seen a 60% increase in calls to its Support Line, highlighting the impact of the pandemic and related socioeconomic factors on public wellbeing. Its Support Mail service has also reported an increase of 30% with a peak of 100% in May. Many are also looking to proactively protect their mental health and, to date, almost 4,000 people have availed of Aware’s online positive mental health programme.

A brand ambassador for Maxol, Ulster and Ireland rugby player Jacob Stockdale firmly supports this Christmas campaign. “This year has been a particularly tough time for a lot of people, many of whom are finding it difficult to cope right now. We cannot underestimate the importance of the work that Aware does, not just over the past eight months, but every day for the past 35 years. I would ask everyone who can, to get behind Aware and get out and support this campaign and let your cup of coffee make a difference.”

Speaking about the Christmas fundraising campaign, Brian Donaldson, CEO of The Maxol Group, said: “We have always known just how vital a service Aware has provided to the people and communities it supports right across Ireland.  But nothing could have prepared the charity for the surge in demand for its services and the corresponding fall in its funding thrown up by the pandemic.

“That is why we have set an ambitious fundraising target for 2020; arguably the most important and critical in this campaign’s four-year history. I would like to thank our customers who have backed this campaign in the past and who I know will once again support our efforts this year.   All we ask is that if you are out and about in the coming weeks and you’re in need of a cup of coffee, pop into a participating Maxol service station and buy a hot drink and you’ll be helping to make a positive difference to many people’s lives.”

Drew Flood of Aware said: “Aware relies heavily on the support of communities and corporate organisations in order to provide our free services.

“Our income has been significantly impacted this year as a result of the pandemic and we are facing into an uncertain 2021. This financial challenge is within the context of a dramatic increase in demand for our services and we expect demand for our services to remain high as we all adjust to the socioeconomic impacts of Covid-19.  This year we will be relying heavily on Maxol’s Christmas campaign to boost much needed funds to ensure we can continue to deliver our essential services nationwide.  Aware would be incredibly grateful to anyone who purchases a ROSA coffee from Maxol this November and December. Every euro raised really makes a difference.”

The money raised by the Maxol campaign will go towards Aware providing support, education, and information for people impacted by depression, bipolar disorder and mood related conditions.

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In addition to members of staff asking if you would like to donate 10p, Maxol will be also be helping out by donating £10,000 to AWARE. Brian Donaldson, Chief Executive Officer at Maxol, said: “I want to thank all of our loyal customers for their continued support and encourage them to get behind this campaign. We’re extremely proud of our partnership with AWARE and the great work they do across the country to promote positive mental health.

Brian Donaldson, Chief Executive Officer at Maxol, said: “I want to thank all of our loyal customers for their continued support and encourage them to get behind this campaign. We’re extremely proud of our partnership with AWARE and the great work they do across the country to promote positive mental health.

Maxol has been a proud partner of AWARE since June 2016. The charity, which has been operating for over 20 years, has a network of 25 support groups across the country and delivers mental health and wellbeing programmes into communities, schools, colleges, universities and workplaces.

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