From client to colleague: How Derby woman Dawn used losing a loved one to help others in need across the county

Posted by rob smyth | Published: 23/10/2017

Dawn Priestley, Funeral Administrator at Allenton Funeral Home, in Derby, has spoken of how the Society’s support following the loss of a loved one encouraged her to help others in need.

The 55-year-old’s journey with the Society started last year following the passing of her father and has now resulted in her landing a job with Central England Co-operative Funeralcare

She said: “After my dad passed away, I was looked after by Kate Spencer and the amazing team at Sinfin Funeral Home. They were absolutely fantastic and helped so much during such a difficult time.”

Following her dad’s funeral, Dawn noticed that her mum needed some additional support and so got back in touch with Kate at the funeral home to see if there was anything they could do to help.

Dawn said: “I spoke to Kate to see if there was any kind of friendship or bereavement group that my mum could attend. As there wasn’t anything available I suggested that we set one up and Kate said it was an idea she had wanted to do for some time. Within a matter of weeks we got the green light and the Forget Me Not friendship group was launched.”

The group offers help, friendship and support to those who have lost a loved one and bring people together from similar walks of life who have lost someone, to talk about their loss but also to socialise and create lasting friendships.

It was such a success that dozens of others have been launched across the Society’s 16 counties in which it trades.

Dawn said: “I am so proud of the Forgot Me Not groups. It helped me and my family so much, but more importantly it has helped and continues to help so many other people as they struggle following the loss of a loved one.”

However, Dawn’s link with the Society did not stop there as during one of the group meetings a senior colleague said that she was so impressed with her efforts, her passion and her caring nature that she wanted her to apply for a role with Central England Co-operative Funeralcare.

Dawn said: “I knew that this was something that I wanted to do – it would allow me to help people during their time of need.

“I love my job and love being able to help people – we have a great team at Allenton and across all parts of Central England Co-operative Funeralcare in Derbyshire.

 “Working for Central England Co-operative Funeralcare is not just a job for me, it is a vocation. I am proud to head into work every day and make a big difference.”

Central England Co-operative Funeralcare Allenton offers a 24-hour service, seven days a week.  In addition to arranging funerals, Dawn and 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 01332 349925.

Notes to editors

Hear Dawn speak about her part in launching the Forget Me Not group by watching a specially created film at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-HAdsBiYuA

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 projected gross sales of £927million for 2016/17. The Society’s principal areas of activity are 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 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, @mycooplife and on Facebook: facebook.com/centralenglandcooperative

Rob Smyth at Central England Co-operative on 01543 414140

Email – publicrelations@centralengland.coop