Central England Co-op steps into display showcasing the Coalville heroes of World War One
Posted by rob smyth | Published: 06/12/2017
Central England Co-operative has stepped in to ensure a poignant project designed to remember Coalville’s first 50 First World War soldiers remains on display.
Members of The Hero Project joined forces with staff from the food store, in Bridge Road, to provide a new home for the display of 50 life-size models of soldiers that faced an uncertain future following the end of an exhibition taking place in the town.
Now members of the public can visit and learn all about people who gave their lives for their country by visiting their local Central England Co-op store.
Jonathan Bird, Bridge Road Store Manager, said: “We are proud to be a major part of the Coalville community and we knew we had to step in and help ensure that this important exhibition remains on display.
“The Co-operative has a long tradition of giving back to the community, and we welcome the opportunity to make a real difference to the lives and education of local people – and we can think of no better way than supporting The Hero Project.
“I would now encourage people of all ages to visit the exhibition and find out more about the brave people who went off to war to fight for their country.”
The temporary home for the exhibition has been made possible thanks to a grant from the Society’s Central Membership and Community Council.
The Hero Project director Deana Wildgoose said: “Everyone involved with the project would like to say a big thank you to Central England Co-op for stepping in and recusing the exhibition.
“We now have a great temporary home in the food store and we want to encourage as many people as possible to make sure they go along and learn about these brave heroes.”
The idea for the 50 cardboard cut-outs came about following the release of a book by local writer called Michael Kendrick about the stories of the first 50 men who joined up from the civilian population and went to fight in the First World War.
Many of the soldiers were decorated to represent their roles in civilian life, with a soldier who was a footballer being given a football under his arm and one who was a boxer made to look half like a boxer and half like a soldier.
Deana added: “The wooden cut-outs were sent to schools, colleges, companies and artists and we tried to send them to suitable places – a hairdresser who joined the Army went to a local hair salon and a soldier from Hugglescote was sent to the village school.
“They were all given the biographical details and census information about their soldiers and asked to decorate them creatively however they wanted.”
The exhibition will be on show in the store until early 2018 and can be viewed from 8am to 8pm Monday to Saturday and 10am to 4pm on Sunday.
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 gross sales of £927 million in 2016/17. The Society’s principal areas of activity are food, funeral services, 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 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 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 / Heather Clapton at Central England Co-operative on 01543 414140
Email –publicrelations@centralengland.coop