Irish forecourt and convenience retailer Maxol is aiming to raise £20,000 this Christmas for its charity partner, AWARE – which provides support, education, and information, for people affected by depression, bipolar disorder and mood-related conditions in Northern Ireland.

The initiative, now in its second year, will see Maxol donate 10p from every hot beverage purchased at participating Maxol service stations across Northern Ireland until the 31 December.

Throughout November and December 2017, Maxol raised just over £16,000 for AWARE and this year is hoping to increase the total amount raised to £20,000.

The funds raised by the campaign will go towards helping AWARE to provide support groups and education programmes across the country, while also increasing awareness of positive mental wellbeing in local communities.

Brian Donaldson, chief executive officer, The Maxol Group, said: “Mental health is such an important issue across Northern Ireland and we’re extremely proud of our partnership with AWARE who take the time to listen and support those who need their help most.

“I would like to thank all of our loyal customers for supporting our fundraising efforts and encourage everyone to once again get behind the campaign. At Maxol, we pride ourselves on being right at the heart of our communities and we feel there is no better way to do this than by raising money for this very worthwhile and incredibly compelling cause.”

Clare Galbraith, corporate fundraiser for AWARE, said:We’re very grateful to Maxol for providing AWARE with this fantastic fundraising initiative. This is also a brilliant opportunity to help us raise the profile of AWARE and the work we do in schools, communities, colleges and workplaces across Northern Ireland. We hope that people will choose to buy a hot beverage at Maxol this Christmas knowing that it’s going towards a great cause.”