Birmingham carpenter stunned to scoop retailer’s £10,000 trip of a lifetime competition on eve of his wedding

Posted by rob smyth | Published: 02/10/2019

A Pype Hayes carpenter will whisk his new wife off on a dream holiday of a lifetime to celebrate their nuptials after finding out he has won Central England Co-op’s £10,000 summer holiday competition.

Graham Sheffield was busy preparing for his big day in the United States when he discovered he had been drawn out as the winner of the retailer’s summer competition in partnership with tour operator Cosmos which gave shopper’s the chance to win a trip of a lifetime with their groceries.

The 51-year-old will now choose where to take his new wife Kerry on an unexpected honeymoon, with Japan, Hawaii and Alaska among the exotic locations the happy couple are considering.

He said: “We were actually holidaying in Las Vegas before heading to a ranch in Pennsylvania for the wedding when I checked my emails and saw that I had won. You don’t believe it at first and I have never won a prize before.

“Kerry has family out in the States and we had always talked about getting married out there and were lucky to be joined by her mum, aunts and her uncle for the ceremony. We are planning to have a reception with my family and friends in the UK in November.

“I regularly visit Central England Co-op stores when I’m out and about through work and I was handed a card at the till which mentioned the chance to win a trip of a lifetime.

“I thought ‘why not’ – I enter competitions all the time but like most people never win anything! It has made what was already a really special few weeks even more so and we are absolutely over the moon.”

Graham was presented with his prize by retail and travel colleagues at Central England Co-op’s Erdington Supermarket and travel store.

Paul Dale, Head of Travel at Central England Co-op, said: “We were thrilled to join with our partners at Cosmos to offer this once-in-a-lifetime trip to customers visiting Central England Co-op food stores over the summer and I would like to congratulate Graham and Kerry not only on winning this incredible prize, but on their recent nuptials.

“Cosmos has over 50 years’ experience in giving holidaymakers the opportunity to explore the world, so I’m sure the winners will be able to enjoy a dream honeymoon and a truly unforgettable experience.”

Find out more about the very latest Travel offers at the Co-operative Travel by visiting https://www.centralengland.coop/travel/offers

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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 the Society’s principal areas of activity being food, funeral services, travel shops, and property investment.

Central England Co-operative has over 400 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 2019.

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 Dementia UK 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 www.centralengland.coop, follow Central England Co-operative on Twitter: @mycoopfood, and on Facebook: facebook.com/centralenglandcooperative

Rob Smyth and James Brindle at Central England Co-operative on 01543 421390

Email – publicrelations@centralengland.coop