Charities share over £72,000 after rise in online donations following the passing of a loved one
Posted by james brindle | Published: 15/01/2019
Kind-hearted mourners have helped raise over £72,000 for charity by going online and donating following the passing of a loved one.
A total of 120 charities received a vital funding boost after special JustGiving pages were created as part of online tributes during the past 12 months.
Central England Co-operative Funeralcare colleagues work closely with families to help create a lasting legacy for friends and relatives by supporting a charity close to their heart.
Over the past 12 months over £72,000 has been donated to charities via JustGiving from funerals arranged by Central England Co-op Funeralcare – a jump of over £34,000 from the previous 12 months, with charities including Cancer Research UK, Macmillan Cancer Support and the British Heart Foundation among those to benefit from the donations.
Kevin Crute, Head of Funeralcare at Central England Co-op, said: “Our colleagues work with families to ensure that the lives of loved ones are honoured in a respectful and befitting way.
“Following a rise in the number of people wanting to personalise and pre-plan their funerals, we have witnessed a growing trend of people wanting help raise funds for a worthy cause of personal significance after their passing.
“The growing advent of people using sites such as JustGiving also gives an extra boost as it allows charities to reclaim GiftAid – meaning more money is going to support vital groups and projects that they normally would have missed out on.
“While many people will still want to give donations by cash or cheque, we are pleased to able to support families who want to use new technology to help create a worthwhile legacy for their loved one or for people who want to plan ahead an ensure a cause close to them gets the funds they need.”
More people than ever now want to have a say on how they will be remembered and this has resulted in people looking to manage their funeral by pre-paying and pre-planning – such as organising an online obituary and JustGiving page
Kevin added: “Certainly we would advise people to pre-plan if there’s something specific that they would like for their funeral service.
“People can record their ideas using our funeral wishes cards and we endeavour to provide everything they want.
“Pre-planning lessens the burden on friends and family. At the time of need, whether the death is expected or not, it is an emotional time for all involved.
“A pre-planned funeral means that the family can take some comfort from the fact that the person who’s passed away is having their wishes met.”
Further information is also available by visiting http://www.prepaidfunerals.coop/ , emailing funeralplanning@centralengland.coop or by calling 0800 454 552.
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, and property.
The company’s funeral business consists of over 120 funeral homes across 16 counties, nine florists, masonry production and administration, Bretby Crematorium and Terry Smiths coffin factory.
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 and funeral home 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, @mycooplife and on Facebook: facebook.com/centralenglandcooperative
Rob Smyth and James Brindle at Central England Co-operative on 01543 414140
Email – publicrelations@centralengland.coop