Annual event in Derby celebrates 60 years of Central England Co-operative membership

Posted by rob smyth | Published: 18/05/2017


Hundreds of Central England Co-operative members have taken part in an annual and unique event in Derby.

The Senior Members’ Gathering featured entertainment and a tea party and was held to honour members who have over 60 years of continuous service with the Society.

The Mayor of Derby Linda Winter was on hand alongside representatives of the board and management of Central England Co-operative to preside over the festivities.

Tanya Noon, organiser and Society Member and Community Relations Officer, said: “The Senior Members’ Gathering is a great way of celebrating members who have over 60 years of continuous service and to thank them for their loyalty to the Society.

“They were treated to a traditional meal, able to share stories and memories before dancing the night away.

“This type of event is one of the many benefits of being a member of Central England Co-operative.”

This unique event in the city can be traced back 127 years to 1890. 

Guests enjoyed a dinner, dance and entertainment.

All members also take home a piece of a celebration cake specially created for the event.

Central England Co-operative offers a wide range of educational and recreational workshops and classes for its members and communities. If you are interested in finding out more about membership, pop in to your local Central England Co-operative food store or email member.community@centralengland.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 gross sales of £927 million in 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 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 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 www.centralengland.coop, follow Central England Co-operative on Twitter: @mycoopfood, and on Facebook: facebook.com/centralenglandcooperative

Rob Smyth / Heather Clapton at Central England Co-operative on 01543 414140

Email –publicrelations@centralengland.coop