Central England Co-op asks for colleagues to be treated with care, compassion and respect while working hard to support communities affected by the Coronavirus 

Posted by mike ankers | Published: 20/03/2020


Central England Co-op asks for colleagues to be treated with care, compassion and respect while working hard to support communities affected by the Coronavirus 

Central England Co-op has issued a plea to customers to show ‘care, compassion and respect’ to its colleagues as they work around the clock to serve their communities.
The retailer, which has 400 food stores and funeral homes across 16 counties, is asking communities to come together and support its front-line colleagues who are going above and beyond to replenish stock levels and keep stores and homes open.
In its food stores, the Society has also put in place a temporary limit of two of every product to help maintain stock levels but has reassured customers that there are no issues with its robust supply lines and that shops are getting daily delivers.
Central England Co-op Chief Executive Debbie Robinson said: “Our colleagues are doing everything they can to ensure our community stores have enough food and goods for everyone.
“We want to ask everyone who visits us to be kind and treat each other with care, compassion and respect.
“If you’re able to say thank you to our colleagues when you see them, we are sure they would really appreciate the support at this time. Please be kind and respectful to everyone around you.
“I also want to send a big thank you to all of our colleagues working in our stores and homes. You are doing an amazing job helping to feed the nation and I cannot thank you enough for going above and beyond for our communities. Be safe and thank you.”
The retailer is also continuing a range of measures to help those whose lives have been affected by the Coronavirus.
This includes:
•    An urgent food bank appeal to support its charity partners after they reported a major fall in donations at the same time as a spike in demand.
•    A mass recruitment drive for Customer Service Advisors in many of its stores to ensure the community continues to be served.
•    Donations to FareShare Midlands and Dementia UK to allow them to continue their vital community services
People can keep up to date with what is happening in their local community by visiting a dedicated online hub at www.centralengland.coop/updates

 

Notes to editors

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 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 2020.

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 several 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