Central England Co-operative Chesterfield store manager raises nearly £1,000 following charity trek
Posted by nathan lloyd | Published: 05/09/2016
A Central England Co-operative store manager is now enjoying a well-earned rest after walking over 100 miles during a charity trek - raising nearly £1,000 in the process for two good causes.
Neil Holmes, who works at the Littlemoor Food Store, in Chesterfield, has been putting his feet up after he and two friends trekked from Skegness to Chesterfield over six days to raise money for The Co-op’s corporate charity Newlife Foundation for Disabled Children and Vasculitis UK.
The trio had initially hoped to raise £500 during the trek but managed to more than double their target by raising £935.
Neil, 34, said: “It was pretty tiring and challenging but very rewarding.
“It was much tougher than we thought and we ended up doing 130 miles rather than 100 miles due to navigation issues and our desire to visit different areas as part of the trek.
“We would like to say a big thank you to all the colleagues, customers and members of the public who put their hand in their pockets to support our efforts and also the people who helped us along the way by paying out for a drink or some food to help us during our efforts.
“We are already thinking of what to do next year and our thoughts are split between a coast to coast challenge or climbing Ben Nevis.”
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.
The link-up between The Co-op and Newlife has already raised over £1 million so far.
Newlife Head of Operations Stephen Morgan said: “We would like to congratulate Neil Holmes, manager of the Littlemoor Co-operative store in Chesterfield, for the success of this 100-mile trek from Skegness.
“He initially set out to raise £500 so it is wonderful news to hear he has doubled this!
“Every penny will be put towards specialist equipment for a disabled child in the Central England Co-operative trading area. Thank you Neil – and everyone who has supported your walking challenge.”
Vasculitis UK helps people who suffer from the disease, which impacts blood vessels, by offering education and support.
Notes to editors
Picture caption: Neil Holmes, manager at Littlemoor Food Store, took part in a charity trek with friends Nicholas Moran and Derek Brough.
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 2015/16.
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.
For more information visit www.centralengland.coop, follow Central England Co-operative on Twitter: @mycoopfood, and on Facebook: facebook.com/centralenglandcooperative
Rob Smyth / Jo Baldock at Central England Co-operative on 01543 414140
Email –publicrelations@centralengland.coop