Central England Co-op says ‘thank you’ to care staff with donation of 1,000 packages to lift their spirits

Posted by rob smyth | Published: 11/05/2020

Central England Co-op has delivered 1,000 ‘thank you’ packages to care home staff across the country to show its appreciation for their efforts helping to tackle Coronavirus on the frontline.

The retailer, which has nearly 400 food stores and funeral homes across 16 counties, decided to make the gesture to show its support from one set of frontline workers to another.

The special packages are filled with tea, coffee, milk, biscuits, chocolate, hand cream and soap to allow key care workers to enjoy a nice treat when they are hard at working caring for the most vulnerable.

They have been handed out to care homes in the following areas: Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk and Suffolk, Northamptonshire, Nottingham, Yorkshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Midlands and Worcestershire.

Debbie Robinson, Central England Co-op Chief Executive, said: “Our care workers are on the frontline of this battle with this global pandemic, helping those who need them the most in these difficult times.

“This is why we wanted to do something, from one set of key workers to another, to thank them for their bravery and efforts and to give them a little treat from our nearby Central England Co-op teams.

“I am in awe of the efforts of all of our frontline workers, from our teams in food stores and funeral homes to those in the NHS, and the work they are doing to ensure our communities continue to be helped and supported.”

The parcels, which also feature a message of support for care workers, have been delivered to care homes located within a one-mile radius of Central England Co-op Food Stores and Funeral homes.

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

Picture caption: Central England Co-op store manager Amanda Faulkner with one of the treat packages sent out to care homes.

About Central England Co-operative

Central England Co-operative is one of the largest independent retail co-operative societies in the UK with interests in food, funeral, floral, travel and property investment.

Co-operatives have always been there for their communities; they were formed to protect them and help them flourish. 

Our 7,900 colleagues who serve Members and customers work hard to ensure that co-operative values, principles and spirit flow through everything we do to help support and improve our local communities.

Owned by hundreds of thousands of Members, we have 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. 

We are proud of our reputation for ethical business practices and corporate responsibility.

We invest a percentage of our trading profit into local communities through our Community Dividend Fund scheme, have donated over £1.3 million to our corporate charity partner Dementia UK and also operate a pioneering food redistribution partnership with FareShare Midlands so unsold food goes to those in need.

Visit www.centralengland.coop for more information or follow us on Facebook or Twitter using @mycoopfood

Press office contacts: Rob Smyth and James Brindle

Phone - 01543 421390

Email - publicrelations@centralengland.coop