Co-op plays part in helping create new memorial to honour fallen war heroes in Water Orton
Posted by rob smyth | Published: 16/10/2018
Central England Co-operative Funeralcare and Memorials has supported the creation of a new memorial to honour the lives of fallen soldiers in Water Orton.
Staff at the nearby Coleshill Funeral Home have helped fundraise to provide materials and offered support for the memorial stone designed to commemorate soldiers who have lost their lives from the area.
Tracy Heathcote, Masonry Sales Advisor at Central England Co-op, said: “We are so pleased to have been able to work with the local community and local businesses to help ensure this vital project has been completed.
“We have been able to offer help, advice and guidance in conjunction with our suppliers to produce the Memorial. A special order of service has been created and donated by Central England Co-op Funeral Care Coleshill for the unveiling ceremony.”
The idea for the war memorial came about because there are two identical plaques in both the Parish Church and the Methodist Church in Water Orton, remembering the soldiers from the village that gave their lives in the First World War and Second World War.
To coincide with the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War, villagers decided to use the information on the plaques to mark this event by creating a lasting war memorial.
A project team made up of representatives from the two churches, the Royal British Legion, the borough and county council and residents have worked together to make this dream a reality.
It has now been unveiled as part of a special ceremony attended by members of the public and local dignitaries at the junction of Watton Lane and Coleshill Road, in Water Orton.
Coleshill Funeral Home offers a 24-hour service, seven days a week. In addition to arranging funerals, the 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 01675 462276.
Notes to editors
Picture caption: David Ford, Central England Co-op Funeral Administrator, Judy MacDonald, War Memorial Committee, Tracy Heathcote, Central England Co-op Masonry Sales Advisor and Councillor David Reilly.
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, 9 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