A Merry Christmas for community groups and good causes in Leicestershire and Northamptonshire thanks to festive funding from Central England Co-operative
Posted by james brindle | Published: 18/12/2018
A wide range of community groups and local good causes across Leicestershire and Northamptonshire have been given a festive boost in the run-up to Christmas thanks to funding from Central England Co-op.
The grants were awarded from the Southern Membership and Community Council (MCC) to support several great initiatives which are helping to provide a Merry Christmas for local communities served by the retailer.
Among those initiatives being given support is St Edwards Soup Kitchen in Kettering which has been handed £200 in vouchers for Christmas goodie bags for the homeless in the town.
Hilary Rodgers from St Edwards said: “A huge thank you to the Central England Co-op for the very kind donation of vouchers to the St Edwards Soup Kitchen. We are using the vouchers to buy tooth brushes, toothpaste, shower gel and chocolates for up to 40 clients to be parcelled up for Christmas. This is such a brilliant thing to do for us and we are grateful for the generosity.”
Two Christmas dinners in Leicestershire held for people who may otherwise have spent Christmas Day on their own have also been given donations. A meal held for residents in Markfield and Anstey is being supported with a goodie bag and voucher, while another in Newbold Verdon has also been supported with vouchers.
Also benefitting from the grants are Little Stars Nursery and Gretton Court Care Home in Melton Mowbray who have been provided with £100 in vouchers for their craft activities as part of the joint initiative which sees children from the nursery spend time at the care home interacting with the residents.
The funds were green-lit by the Southern Membership and Community Council, which is made up of Co-op members who are passionate about their community and want to make a difference within it. Each council is given funding and support by the Society to organise activities and events.
Karen Bevan, Member and Community Relations Officer, said: “It is really important to have strong links with our local community and I am proud the Southern Membership and Community Council were able to support these projects that are really making a difference to people’s lives over the Christmas period.
“As well as these grants the MCC has been busy supporting Christmas fairs and late night shopping events promoting what we do, as well as our stores and funeral services, all while raising funds for our charity partner Dementia UK.
“I would like to thank all our MCC ambassadors for their hard work in supporting these events and throughout the year.”
People can find out more about the work of the Membership and Community Council by visiting https://www.members.coop/
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, travel shops, and property investment.
Central England Co-operative has over 400 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 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, and on Facebook: facebook.com/centralenglandcooperative
James Brindle at Central England Co-operative on 01543 421426
Email –publicrelations@centralengland.coop