World Ocean Day Makes a Splash at Central Co-op
Posted by sam bishop | Published: 08/06/2023
Central Co-op's purpose is to create a sustainable Society for all, and the continued support of Members allows the Society to invest funds into important community projects through its Community Dividend Fund, which supports hundreds of local good causes each year by investing a portion of Central Co-op's trading profits.
One of these causes that has received funding in the past is the Sharing Memories Group, bringing together older people in the area of Holmfirth in West Yorkshire to share memories and create artwork with the help of artists. This has resulted in the creation of an oceanscape made out of recycled materials in the Piazza Centre in Huddersfield, celebrating World Ocean Day today, and the work has been created by many community organisations all from within the Holme Valley.
The exhibition, called InDeep, is free to enter and open every day from the 8th to 17th June between 12 and 4pm. What makes the exhibition special is that everything has been created using either recycled or recyclable products and materials, and when the exhibition is finished, the paper elements will be shredded and recycled in the next group project by being made into hand-made craft paper. Kirklees Waste Services will be there too, giving out information on where to recycle in Kirklees to help reduce landfill and pollution.
This is a cause that aligns with Central Co-op's purpose, which is about not only assisting communities around us, but ensuring that the environment stays sustainable for the future.
This is why Central Co-op has taken recent measures to ensure it’s more environmentally friendly, including partnering with Sol PV Group to bring solar panels to stores and bringing electric funeral vehicles into our fleet, but the Community Dividend Fund helps to support local causes that is doing important work like Sharing Memories Group, helping to reduce isolation in older people while also working on this artwork.
For further details, head to the Central Co-op website, Facebook, and Twitter. Details on becoming a Member can be found on the Membership site.
About Central Co-op
Central Co-op is one of the largest independent retail co-operative societies in the UK, with a heritage stretching back over 175 years and interests in food, funeral, floral and property investment.
Owned by hundreds of thousands of members, its 7,700 colleagues serve customers across 440 plus trading sites in 21 counties in the East and West Midlands, Yorkshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire.
Its purpose is to create a sustainable Society for all.
It actively campaigns for food justice and works with FareShare Midlands and a network of local food banks. It also adds £1 to every Healthy Start Voucher redeemed in store and supports six schools in partnership with Magic Breakfasts.
The Society embraces inclusivity and equality and is a signed-up member to the Business in the Community (BITC) Race at Work Charter. The Society is also a member of Diversity in Retail and it is fully committed to addressing the impacts of climate change by reducing carbon and food waste, increasing recycling and investment in community Sustainable Spaces funded by the carrier bag levy. It recently launched its Malawi Partnership to support farmers and producers in the country through the Co-operative International Trading Development Fund.
It invests a percentage of its trading profit into local communities through its Community Dividend Fund scheme which has seen over £109,769.25 shared out between 121 good causes in 2022.
Press office contact: Sam Bishop, PR Specialist
Contact details:
sam.bishop@centralengland.coop
07385 048048