Currys staff raise thousands for Smile For Joel
Staff at a West Midlands Currys store have raised £2,000 to help the Smile For Joel charity after a year in which donations plunged.
The staff at the store in Wednesbury, off Junction 9 of the M6, held various events, including cake and samosa sales and there were collection boxes at the tills.
Suzy Evans, from Smile For Joel, said she was delighted with the donation, which was particularly welcome after fundraising was hit by the pandemic.
She said: “We are overwhelmed with the support we have been given by Currys at Junction 9. They have not only been fundraising for us, they have also donated very generous raffle prizes. They are so supportive and we feel very honoured.
“Lockdown had a massive effect on Smile For Joel as all our events were cancelled,” she added.
“Fundraising has been really tough. This is our first big donation and we truly need it at the moment.”
Smile For Joel was set up to support families affected by terrorism and murder. The money donated by Currys will be used to fund holidays for bereaved families.
Smile For Joel also raises awareness of safe travel abroad and supports the UK’s counter-terrorism strategy, Prevent.
It was set up by Suzy and her son Owen after the 2015 terrorist attack in Tunisia which saw 38 people killed, including Suzy’s older son Joel, 19, brother Adrian Evans, 49, and dad Patrick Evans, 78. Owen, just 16 at the time, was in Tunisia with his brother, uncle and grandad, but survived.
Smile For Joel has a series of events lined up post-lockdown, including Jump For Joel, a fundraising skydive, on July 3, and Run For Joel, on September 5.
To get involved or find out more, visit smileforjoel.com
Image Caption: Owen and Suzy with store manager Richard Kirk. Picture by Carol Bailey
