Two good causes share £200,000 boost thanks to generous Central England Co-operative customers
Posted by nathan lloyd | Published: 18/01/2017
Generous Central England Co-operative customers have raised over £200,000 to support two good causes by donating unwanted items of clothing.
New figures released today revealed that 1,413 tonnes of clothing have been left at special collection points at over 100 Society Food Stores across 16 different counties.
These donations, which started in 2012 as part of a link-up between Central England Co-op and the Salvation Army, were then sold on and the money raised shared between the Salvation Army and the Society’s corporate charity Newlife, the Charity for Disabled Children’.
Hannah Gallimore, Corporate Responsibility Manager at Central England Co-operative, said: “Everyone involved with the Society is proud of its work in the community and the work undertaken with charities to improve the lives of others.
“This partnership has grown and grown since it began in 2012 and both the Salvation Army and Newlife are reaping the benefits.
“Everyone at Central England Co-operative would like to say a big thank you to members and customers who have donated clothing already, and we would urge anyone who has any unwanted clothes to bring them to one of our clothing banks and make a real difference.”
Newlife the Charity for Disabled Children is dedicated to providing guidance and practical support for children with disabilities and their families, and although Newlife is a national charity, every penny raised by Central England Co-operative is helping children in the Society’s trading area.
So far, the partnership has raised £1.2million and helped fund specialist disability equipment for more than 530 children who live in the communities in which the Society serves.
Newlife charity Head of Community Fundraising and Appeals Nora Smith said: “Funding from this recycling initiative has enabled Newlife to provide vital equipment for disabled and terminally ill children in the Central England Co-operative trading area.
“On behalf of those families whose everyday lives have been improved as a result, Newlife would like to say a huge ‘thank you’.”
The Salvation Army works throughout the year to provide compassionate support, a listening ear and practical help to people who are vulnerable or in need.
A spokesman for the Salvation Army said: “The money raised so far through this scheme will go towards supporting some of the most vulnerable people in the UK. It just shows how such a simple action - recycling clothes - can have such a significant impact on people's lives. We're very grateful to the Central England Co-operative and its customers for the compassion they've shown through donating and raising money.”
As well as clothing banks at over 100 Food Stores, Central England Co-operative also has permanent food bank collection points throughout many of its food stores.
Customers are encouraged to purchase a few extra items when shopping in their local co-op food store and add them to the donation bins. The items are then used to help those in need in the local area.
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 projected gross sales of £958million for 2016/17. The Society recently celebrated being named Leading Co-operative of the Year 2016 by Co-operatives UK. The Society’s principal areas of activity are food, funeral services, and property. 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 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 Newlife Foundation for Disabled Children 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 http://www.centralengland.coop follo,w Central England Co-operative on Twitter: @mycoopfood, and on Facebook: facebook.com/centralenglandcooperative
Rob Smyth – PR officer - Central England Co-operative - 01543 414140
Email – publicrelations@centralengland.coop