Debenhams Ireland partners Make-a-Wish charity

Make-A-Wish Ireland grants wishes to children aged between 3 and 17 who have life threatening medical conditions with the simple aim of giving them some joy to enrich their lives.

In July and August, staff at all 11 Debenhams stores in Ireland will participate in a number of store fundraising activities as well as inviting customers to make a donation with their purchase at the tillpoint. Among the activities planned are a celebrity fashion show, pamper-days and hula hoop challenges with all voluntary donations gathered at the events going directly to the charity.

Debenhams staff across the stores are really excited about Make-A-Wish becoming an official partner as it is such an important charity for Irish families, having granted wishes for over 1,300 children since arriving in Ireland in 1992.

Speaking about the partnership, Debenhams Irish Sales Director Chris Paton said: ‘’Partnering with Make-A-Wish is a fantastic initiative for us at Debenhams Ireland; we are delighted to be able to contribute to such a great cause. Across the 11 Debenhams stores in Ireland it’s important to us to reach out to the local communities, and as Make-A-Wish is a children’s charity it’s all the more special.

"The fundraising activities planned by the staff include everything from fashion shows to pamper days which will allow us to raise significant funds while having fun with our colleagues and contributing to the spirit of the community!’’

Speaking about the partnership with Debenhams, Susan O’Dwyer, Chief Executive for Make-A-Wish Ireland said ‘’We are delighted to partner with Debenhams and we very much look forward to working with them to ensure our fundraising efforts are a success. This year is a pivotal one for the charity as we plan to increase the number of wishes granted to children with life threatening illnesses by 60%.

"We must achieve this in order to reduce our waiting list of over 250 children. As we receive no government funding, we rely completely on the generosity of the public and corporate partnerships like Debenhams to fund our special wishes. All the staff at Debenhams and their customers should know that their amazing efforts will mean we can grant more wishes to very deserving children, bringing true magic into their lives and providing respite from their normal routines of hospitals, doctors and treatments.”

Debenhams