Birmingham Bollywood extravaganza raises over £700 for charity that helps disabled youngsters

Posted by nathan lloyd | Published: 11/04/2017

Central England Co-operative funeralcare has raised over £700 after holding a Bollywood extravaganza to raise money for a charity that supports disabled children.

Representatives from Newlife the Charity for Disabled Children met with Society colleagues to receive a cheque worth £771 after dozens helped raise the final amount at an event in Digbeth that included traditional Asian cuisine, a Bhangra DJ, and Henna art.

Kiran Bhogal, Senior Funeral Director at Central England Co-operative funeralcare, said: “We decided collectively to host a Bollywood charity night for colleagues and our surrounding communities to raise money for Newlife.

“We managed to source a reasonably priced venue and also a traditional Bollywood DJ.

“The venue was dressed in an elegant Indian theme and all those who attended were encouraged to dress in some way to reflect the Bollywood theme.

“We raised a grand total of £771 which has now been presented to Newlife.

“We opted to have the money used for children within the Birmingham area as this means it will help people in the communities in which we serve.”

Newlife is dedicated to providing information and practical support for children with disabilities and their families.

Although Newlife is a national charity, every penny raised by Central England Co-operative is helping children in the Midlands.

A spokesman from Newlife said: “The Bollywood extravaganza was a very colourful and diverse event – and a fun way to raise money for seriously-needed support of disabled and terminally ill children.

“Every penny of Central England Co-operative fundraising is truly appreciated, not only by Newlife but by the families we help through vital equipment provision.”

The link-up between The Co-op and Newlife has already raised over £1.2 million so far and helped over 600 children.

Notes to editors

Photo caption: Representatives from Central England Co-operative funeralcare met with Newlife the Charity for Disabled Children to handover a cheque for £771 following a Bollywood evening.

About Central England Co-operative
Central England Co-operative is one of the largest independent retail co-operative societies in the UK. It is a modern, forward-looking organisation employing over 8,000 staff, with projected gross sales of £958million for 2016/17. The Society recently celebrated being named Leading Co-operative of the Year 2016 by Co-operatives UK. The Society’s principal areas of activity are food, funeral services, and property. Central England Co-operative has more than 430 trading outlets across 16 counties including; West Midlands, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Nottinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire.  The Society has an ambitious food store development programme for 2017.
Central England Co-operative is proud of its reputation for ethical business practices and corporate responsibility.  It is a member of Business in the Community, the membership organisation that stands for responsible business, and has also won many business awards for excellence.  The Society supports a number of charities including Newlife Foundation for Disabled Children and invests a percentage of its trading profit into local communities.
Becoming a member of Central England Co-operative offers a whole host of benefits ranging from collecting points every time you spend in store to earn a share of the profits, access to members activities and community initiatives including the Community Dividend Fund, which hands out grants of up to £5,000 to charities and good causes across the Society’s trading estate.
Find out how to become a Central England Co-operative member by calling 0800 0501 601, emailing members@centralengland.coop or visiting https://www.members.coop

For more information visit http://www.centralengland.coop follo,w Central England Co-operative on Twitter: @mycoopfood, and on Facebook: facebook.com/centralenglandcooperative

Rob Smyth – PR officer - Central England Co-operative - 01543 414140
Email – publicrelations@centralengland.coop