Burton Hope ‘overwhelmed’ as funeral directors hand over £2,000 following fundraising sleepout event
Posted by james brindle | Published: 22/03/2019
A team of Burton funeral directors have donated £2,000 to a group which supports the town’s homeless community after organising a fundraising sleepout.
Central England Co-operative Funeralcare Senior Funeral Director Fiona Thompson and her team spent the night braving the elements sleeping out in the yard at Wellings Funeral Home, in Derby Street, to raise funds and help tackle homelessness in the town by supporting Burton Hope.
The organisation was launched in August 2017 as part of an effort to bring together volunteers to help people in need ranging from the homeless to the elderly.
The group operates out of Burton Market Place every Saturday and Sunday and hands out over 100 food parcels every single week.
Fiona said: “It was a really cold, long night but for every single one of us who took part it was a real eye opener.
“It is heartbreaking to think of those who have no choice but to do that day in and day out. That is why we wanted to do this. We wanted to raise awareness as all of us were really struck by the rising levels of homelessness in and around the town.
“When we heard about the great work that Burton Hope undertakes, and then when we went down to see it first-hand, we were blown away by all that they do.
“We were really keen to do something to support them and initially hoped to try and get near to raising £1,000, so we are absolutely over the moon to have doubled that target.
“It has been a hugely rewarding experience for us all and we are determined to do it again in the future.”
Burton Hope Chairman John Anderson said he was ‘really overwhelmed’ by the donation which he said was the largest the organisation has received in its short history.
He said: “We are so grateful for this donation from the team at Central England Co-op. It will provide much needed funds to keep our food bank and clothes bank in operation to support some of the most vulnerable people in our society.”
Further details about Burton Hope and how to support their work can be found at www.burtonhope.co.uk
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, and property.
The company’s funeral business consists of over 120 funeral homes across 16 counties, nine 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 2019.
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 and James Brindle at Central England Co-operative on 01543 414140
Email – publicrelations@centralengland.coop