Central England Co-operative colleagues come together across Cambridgeshire to help the lonely
Posted by nathan lloyd | Published: 14/12/2016
Colleagues from across Central England Co-operative Food and Funeralcare in Cambridgeshire have come together to offer those who are lonely a Christmas a festive boost.
A donation of £350 has been given by the Society’s Membership and Community Council to allow Sawtry Food Store to provide a whole host of festive treats from turkey to truffles to a project backed by Huntingdon Funeral Home called Churches Together.
Sawtry Store Manager Peter MacColl was approached by Funeral Director Brendan Smith to see if he could help supply food to ensure vulnerable people in the community are given a warm meal and good company on Christmas Day.
The Eastern Membership and Community Council then stepped in to provide the funds to support the project and now planning is under way before the big day on December 25.
Peter said: “Once I heard about this fantastic initiative, I knew that we had to help in any way that we could.
“We are delighted to be able to cover the cost of the food and drink for the Christmas dinner and delighted that the event will also mean that people will not be on their
own at Christmas.
“Everyone at Glatton Road thinks this is a great community event and we are all proud to have been able to help in our own little way.”
The donation will mean that around 40 people will be able to enjoy a Christmas dinner and some company.
They will be able to enjoy turkey with all the trimmings, Christmas puddings, mince pies, and some sweet treats.
Brendan Smith, Funeral Director at Huntingdon Funeral Home, said: “The idea behind the event is that we will all work as a team to collect people in the community who need our support, take them to a community centre, cook them a Christmas meal, and spend the whole of the Christmas Day with them.
“I am so pleased that different parts of Central England Co-operative have been able to come together to ensure that people who would have been alone and hungry at Christmas will now be given a festive treat.”
Member and Community Relations Officer Karen Ball said: “It’s great that we have been able support this project – helping out in our communities is a key part of what makes us a co-operative.”
Central England Co-operative Membership and Community Councils are passionate about the areas where they live and seek to make a real difference in their locality, by acting as the link between The Co-operative and their local communities.
Roles include representing the views of local people and seeking opportunities for community activity involvement.
The society has three Membership and Community Councils with each representing Eastern, Central and Western constituencies. To find out more about the Society’s
community work 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 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 2015/16.
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.
For more information visit www.centralengland.coop, follow Central England Co-operative on Twitter: @mycoopfood, and on Facebook: facebook.com/centralenglandcooperative
Rob Smyth / Jo Baldock at Central England Co-operative on 01543 414140
Email – publicrelations@centralengland.coop