A guide for SuperValu retailers

1. A guide for SuperValu retailers helping to create a better environment for everyone

2. Background to Best Kept Awards • SuperValu has committed to sponsorship of the Best Kept Awards for three years from 2004. • The Best Kept Awards are organised annually by the Northern Ireland Amenity Council (NIAC). NIAC was established in 1986 to promote, for the public benefit, the protection, preservation and improvement of the physical environment in Northern Ireland. • NIAC is increasingly aware of the importance of a clean and healthy environment, and the Best Kept Awards have played a significant part in encouraging people to take civic pride in their neighbourhood. • The Awards scheme runs throughout the year with main dates in the calendar stretching from February to October – providing lots of opportunities for media coverage and community involvement. • SuperValu also sponsor the Tidy Towns Awards in the Republic of Ireland.

3. What are the categories? • The Awards have 14 categories • Best Kept Town/Village • Best Kept Large Town/City • Best Kept Medium Town • Best Kept Small Town • Best Kept Large Village • Best Kept Small Village • The winners from the above categories are invited to join Tidy Town • winners (ROI) to compete for the Ireland’s Best Kept Town Award. • Best Kept Housing Area • Best Kept Large Area • Best Kept Medium Area • Best Kept Small Area • Best Kept School • Best Kept Large School • Best Kept Medium School • Best Kept Small School • *(Awards in each Education & Library Board area) • Best Kept Health & Social Care Facility • Best Kept Day Care Facility eg Day Centres, Training Centres, Resource Centres • Best Kept Residential Facility eg Hostels, Children’s Homes, Elderly Homes • Best Kept Healthcare Facility eg Health Centres, Clinics • *(Awards in each Health Board area)

4. The aim of the partnership between SuperValu and Best Kept Awards • To create a mutually beneficial partnership between SuperValu and NIAC and to promote awareness of the Best Kept Awards initiative. • To generate excellent public relations benefits for SuperValu and retailers. • To provide us with opportunities to network key decision makers locally e.g. Councillors. • SuperValu will be helping raise awareness of the importance of a clean and healthy environment, and this initiative will impact on the community as a whole including school age children. • The initiative will be operating Province-wide and therefore the opportunity exists for all SuperValu stores to get involved. • Audience reach: school age children, parents, teachers, education authorities, local authorities, government departments, councillors, council workers, resident groups. • These people are your customers or potential customers! • This is another opportunity to reinforce our integration into the communities we serve and to increase the profile of our community involvement strategy.

5. You and the Best Kept Awards! • SuperValu stores are an integral part of the local community. • As a good neighbour you are naturally concerned about your local environment and all the issues involved. • Show your community that you are becoming involved in the collective goal to win one of these Awards! • Encourage your local community to participate in the Awards by making contact with key decision makers … Towns & Villages … local council representatives and local community groups. Schools … principals, teachers and the PTA in local schools. Housing Area … local NI Housing Executive Office and Housing Association. Healthcare … local GP surgery, old people’s homes, daycare centres, medical centres and rehabilitation facilities. • Become an active member of your local community committee, or speak with other business players in your community and set one up.

6. You and the Best Kept Awards! • Make opportunities for local press coverage. Here are some ideas for you to consider: • Select an area around the shop and start brushing! Invite your local papers to take a picture! • Get in touch with your local schools, see what they are doing, get involved and make sure you are in the pics! • Pay for your town’s entry fee to the Awards and tell the local papers that you’ve done it and why? • Donate items to help the town, school or local medical practice which will help them with their efforts – lawnmower, cleaning materials, hanging baskets, trees/shrubs. • Identify an area which has become neglected, maybe the grounds of the community needs the litter picked up! • Is there a local community group facility that could do with a facelift? You could help! Get those paint brushes out. • SuperValu stores are right in the heart of our communities. We know it and our customers know it, but make sure that they realise how seriously we take our responsibilities as good citizens! And, as importantly - be seento do it.

7. Giving and getting back! • Retaining the loyalty of our existing customers and getting new customers will secure future business • Winning friends for our business, by being seen to be giving something back to the community, will help us achieve this • So plan your activity for supporting Best Kept Awards and share it with us. • Email Jackie McCloskey with your thoughts – jackie.mccloskey@musgrave.ie • We can share them around! • Always ensure ‘strong branding’ when you are planning local press coverage … use the shop signage! • Good luck!

8. Important dates February 6th – Launch of Best Kept Awards March 6th – Closing date for Best Kept School entries April 24th– Closing date for Best Kept Towns, Village & Housing Area entries May 22nd – Closing date for Best Kept Healthcare entries June – Best Kept School Award Presentations June 28th – Ireland’s Best Kept Town Award Presentation End of September – Best Kept Town & Village Awards Presentation End of October - Best Kept Healthcare Awards Presentation

9. PR plans Public relations activity will centre on the launch of each Best Kept Award category and on Award presentations. This will provide opportunities to promote SuperValu’s support of the Awards nationally and locally. Local papers will be issued with press releases throughout the year at these key dates. Representatives of local Councils, Schools and Healthcare facilities will be invited to each of the Awards ceremonies – providing an opportunity to network with key decision makers and to obtain PR pictures with SuperValu personnel for the local papers. You can impact on local PR by organising your own activity with Councils, Schools and Healthcare facilities – making sure to tell local media about your support and the initiatives you are involved in! MSVC NI have commissioned a PR consultant to ensure the highest possible media coverage of the sponsorship – as per the SuperValu sponsorship of Action Cancer’s mobile detection unit.

10. Contact us! If you would like to ask questions or discuss ideas for your involvement and local Best Kept initiatives them please contact us. The main contact for Best Kept Awards at MSVC NI will be Jackie McCloskey in the Marketing Team – Tel: 028 9078 7249 or email – jackie.mccloskey@musgrave.ie If you would like to contact NIAC directly about local participation in the Awards and to see if your town, local schools or healthcare facilities are taking part please contact Joan Burton, NIAC on 028 9040 3681. We will be issuing you with regular updates on the progress of the Awards. Look out for local press coverage when each category is launched and winners are announced. For more information on the Awards, last years winners and key dates look online at NIAC’s website at www.niacbestkept.com