Co-op opens first ever eco-friendly funeral home in Castle Donington
Posted by rob smyth | Published: 09/07/2018
Central England Co-operative Funeralcare has today officially opened a first of its kind Funeral Arrangement Office Pod made from responsibly sourced materials in Castle Donington.
The new building is based next to the Central England Co-op Food Store, in Station Road, and a total of £30,000 has been invested in the new venture.
The idea behind the new innovative site was to create a building that is tailor-made to clients’ needs and that is warm, welcoming and comforting.
The Funeral Arrangement Office Pod is also fully accessible to wheelchair users and clad in responsibly sourced Siberian Larch – a great example of Central England Co-op’s ongoing drive to be environmentally friendly.
The opening of the new site has created one new job and will also see close links formed with the funeral provider’s current Funeral Home in Borough Street.
Funeral Director Bev Whatley said: “This is a very exciting time for my team and we are proud to be able to continue to grow our presence and involvement in Castle Donington.
“We are also extremely excited to be part of a first for Central England Co-operative and hope our families feel at home in our new and unique Funeral Arrangement Office.
“At Central England Co-op we are dedicated to supporting our families during difficult times by offering them the very best care and support from the first moment that we meet them.
“We feel our new home in Castle Donington reflects our commitment to providing excellent standards of care and ensures that we can help people in the local area during their time of need.
“It also showcases efforts to try and make visiting us an experience that is more convenient.”
To mark the opening, local clergy, representatives from nearby businesses and members of the public were given a guided tour of the premises and refreshments.
Bev added: “We were proud to welcome dignitaries and local people to our official opening and to show them around our new and unique Funeral Arrangement Office – it was the perfect way to show people that we are always here for them.”
The Funeral Arrangement Office will be open 8am – 6pm Monday to Saturday and 10am – 4pm on Sunday.
In addition to arranging funerals, Bev and her team are also able to offer advice on floral tributes, monumental masonry, funeral stationery, pre-paid funeral plans and probate advice. The team can be contacted on 01332 814911.
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, 10 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 2018.
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 at Central England Co-operative on 01543 414140
Email – publicrelations@centralengland.coop