Applegreen is back with its nationwide fundraising campaign ‘Bands for Barretstown’, reaffirming its ongoing commitment to supporting the charity’s therapeutic camps and programmes for children with cancer and other serious illnesses. This year’s campaign will see limited-edition wristbands go on sale in Applegreen stores across Ireland from Monday 11th to Sunday 17th August 2025.
The new bands will be available to purchase at till points in Applegreen stores nationwide for just €2, with all proceeds going directly to Barretstown.
The design for this year’s bands was created by ten-year-old Millie Lynam and features the inspiring message ‘Let’s Go Barretstown’, a colourful and joyful expression of the hope and positivity that Barretstown brings to children and families living with cancer and other serious illnesses.
Millie lives in Kilbeggan, Co. Westmeath, with her parents Eimear and Paul, her brother James (7) and her sister Kitty (4). Millie was first introduced to Barretstown as a sibling camper, supporting her younger sister Kitty, who has an extremely rare genetic disorder that affects the nervous system. The family have been to Barretstown for several weekend family camps and has also taken part in Barretstown’s Camp at Home Outreach Programme.
Proudly supporting the campaign this year is TV and radio presenter Lucy Kennedy, who is lending her voice to shine a light on the campaign:
“Bands for Barretstown is such a great fundraiser for a wonderful charity. I know Applegreen is an incredible supporter of the work that the team in Barretstown do for children and families affected by cancer and other serious illnesses. I am hoping that anyone who stops off at their local Applegreen store between 11-17th August to maybe buy petrol, a paper or a coffee will also buy one of the brightly coloured bands and support this worthy charity”
Dee Ahearn, CEO of Barretstown, said:
“Since 1994, Barretstown has provided free, medically endorsed therapeutic programmes for children living with cancer and other serious illnesses and their families. Millie’s message ‘Let’s Go Barretstown’ captures a strong message of hope for so many children and parents going through a difficult time and shows the long-lasting impact that Barretstown’s work brings to so many families across the country. It’s with the support of partners like Applegreen that we continue to grow its reach and impact across Ireland.”
Rosie Begley, Applegreen’s Social Impact Manager said:
“At Applegreen, we are incredibly proud to support Barretstown. We have been working with them since 2023 and are one of the charity’s largest partners. Thanks to the generosity of our customers and the dedication of our teams across Ireland, we have raised €1.6 million to date for Barretstown, which is far ahead of our original €1 million target for our three-year partnership. This achievement reflects the deep connection our communities feel to Barretstown’s mission, and we are focused on building on this momentum.”
Applegreen is one of Ireland’s leading retail hospitality brands. It opened its first service station in Ballyfermot in Dublin in 1992 and now operates almost 200 locations in the Irish market. It also has a significant business overseas, with operations in Britain and the United States, and a total of more than 430 locations and more than 700 branded food offers across its global network.
For more information on the campaign and donate, visit https://applegreenstores.com/charity/.
