Central England Co-operative celebrates raising £1.5 million for charity that supports disabled children
Posted by rob smyth | Published: 26/07/2017
Central England Co-operative is today delighted to announce that it has raised £1.5 million for its corporate charity partner Newlife the Charity for Disabled Children.
The Society has been supporting the charity that helps disabled children for over four years and during that time colleagues across 16 counties have done everything from bungee jumps and ultra-marathons to cake sales and fashion parties to raise vital funds for the good cause.
The Society’s continued partnership with Newlife has been boosted by the fact that every pound raised by Central England Co-operative colleagues, members and customers has been able to be directly invested back into the community it has been donated from.
This has meant, for example, that for every £1,000 donated in Birmingham, families in Birmingham have directly benefited from life changing equipment that allows children with disabilities and serious illnesses to enjoy better, more fulfilling lives.
Central England Co-operative Chief Executive Martyn Cheatle said: “We have enjoyed every moment of our long and extremely successful partnership with Newlife.
“During the four years that Newlife has been our corporate charity we have built a strong relationship and raised a significant amount of money that has helped change and improve the lives of children who live in the communities in which we serve.
“I would like to praise the dedication of the Society’s colleagues, members and customers because without their support we would never have been able to raise £1.5 million for this great cause.
“As a community retailer and responsible business, it has been great to know that every penny raised as part of this charity campaign has gone to improve the lives of families in our trading area, leaving a lasting impact for many years to come.”
Figures have revealed that a total of 625 children have been helped as a result of money raised throughout the partnership between Central England Co-operative and Newlife.
Newlife Chief Executive Sheila Brown said: “The over years of our amazing charity partnership has seen Central England Co-operative help Newlife fund vital equipment for more than 625 disabled and terminally ill children across the company’s trading area.
“The £1.5 million that Central England Co-operative colleagues and customers have raised for Newlife has funded everything from wheelchairs and walkers for mobility through specialist beds and buggies for safety to portable hoists and bespoke seating to reduce pain.
“Vital equipment for children in every area where Central England Co-operative operates – from South Yorkshire down to the West Midlands and from
Staffordshire across to Norfolk . . . and all points in between.
“Without the support of Central England Co-operative, many of these children would have gone without the vital equipment they needed altogether – and many more would have had to wait for funding to be found.
“We are so grateful for all the wonderful – and sometimes weird and wacky – ways in which staff have chosen to fundraise for Newlife. I t has been a real pleasure for us to play a small part in their enthusiasm and creativity. We thank you all.”
Central England Co-operative is set to announce its corporate charity partner for 2017/2018 in August.
Notes to editors
Picture caption: Central England Co-operative Chief Executive Martyn Cheatle celebrates raising £1.5 million for Newlife the Charity for Disabled Children with charity Chief Executive Sheila Brown.
Picture caption: Central England Co-operative Chief Executive Martyn Cheatle celebrates raising £1.5 million for Newlife the Charity for Disabled Children with charity Chief Executive Sheila Brown and funding recipient Matthew Smith and his mum Christine, from Barton under Needwood.
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
About Newlife
• Newlife is the UK’s leading children’s disability charity, specialising in support to aid children affected by all disabilities and terminal illness.
• Without Newlife, thousands of children would suffer pain, isolation, worsening conditions and poor quality of life.
• Newlife is the UK’s largest non-statutory provider of specialist equipment for children with disabilities and terminal illness.
• Newlife Foundation supports families nationally, through a range of free services including:
Nurse-staffed helpline
Equipment grants
Emergency equipment loans
Sensory and developmental toy ‘pod’ loans.
Comfort Capsules
• In addition to funding the above services, the charity also offers a support service delivered by specially trained nurses and campaigns for a fairer deal for children.
• Newlife funds pioneering Medical Research to tackle the biggest threat to child health today; Birth defects. The Newlife Birth Defects Centre based at the Institute of Child Health is Europe’s first dedicated Birth Defects Research Centre.
• To meet current demand, the charity needs over £8,000 a day to provide essential equipment such as wheelchairs, beds, walking frames, seating, safety equipment and communication aids to children nationwide.
• Newlife does not receive any government funding and is reliant on income from its unique recycling operation, volunteers and supporters all over the UK and regional appeals to carry out its work. Newlife is one of the few national charities that actively offers donors/supporters the chance to ensure 100% of their gift is spent how they want it used - nothing taken out for admin etc.
• Newlife recognises there are almost a million children in the UK with significant disabilities. It is believed that this number is increasing, as childhood deaths decrease due to improved treatment and management of prematurity, accidents, infections, cancers and inborn conditions.