Central England Co-operative pledges to raise £1.5 million for disabled children in Birmingham
Posted by nathan lloyd | Published: 09/09/2016
Central England Co-operative has supported Newlife Foundation for Disabled Children for just over four years and in that time colleagues have fundraised by jumping out of planes, running marathons, climbing mountains, dressing up and generally doing all they can to increase awareness of the vital work that Newlife does in the community the Society serves.
Every pound raised for Newlife goes directly back into the community it has been donated from.
So, if you help to raise £100 in Leicester, then Leicestershire families will benefit from life changing equipment that allows children with disabilities and serious illnesses to live better, more fulfilling lives.
So far Central England Co-operative has raised 1.2 million for Newlife – but the Society is not going to stop there, it has pledged to raise a total of £1.5 million by the end of the fundraising relationship – so the race is on for the year ahead.
Central England Co-operative Chief Executive Martyn Cheatle said: “Our partnership with Newlife has been extremely successful.
“The dedication of the Society’s colleagues, members and customers has meant that we have been able to raise a significant amount of money and build a strong relationship along the way.
“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.
“The success of our relationship gives me the great pleasure of being able to announce that we are going to continue to support Newlife and in doing so hope to reach a fundraising target of £1.5 million.”
Eight-year-old Evie Thompson, who has a rare childhood disease, now has a specialist standing frame to help manage her condition thanks to the link-up between Central England Co-operative and Newlife.
Evie, from Bournville, in Birmingham, has a rare metabolic, regressive, life limiting condition – Peroxisome Biogenesis Disorder. Hearing, vision and low muscle tone are a few of the issues that affect children with this condition.
Mum Michelle Thompson said: “Evie uses a standing frame at school and I feel it is really important that she is able to continue with this at home at weekends and during holidays.”
However, there was no funding available for this equipment through local statutory services.
Michelle added: “Evie has a life-limiting, regressive condition which has noticeably worsened in the last eight months. She has always had good sitting balance and, with support, she has been able to walk short distances, so she could enjoy activities like going to the park. In the last few months, Evie’s gross motor skills have regressed considerably – she no longer walks with straight legs – her knees are very flexed and she can walk for only five to eight minutes. She also drags her legs as she walks. It is so very sad to see. This is just the beginning of this very cruel condition.
“I like to keep her as mobile as possible and her physiotherapist has suggested that her muscles are not being properly stretched now. Access to a standing frame every day helps with this.”
Not only will the standing frame – which cost £1,384 – help her leg muscles, it will improve her head control as well as aid bone density and digestion.
Michelle added: “Sitting down all the time isn’t good for a lot of bodily functions so a standing frame of her own will be a fantastically useful piece of kit.”
To find out more about Newlife visit http://www.newlifecharity.co.uk or pop in to your local store to make a donation, Central England Co-op have collection points in Retail stores and run regular fundraising events throughout the year.
You can find out more about My Co-op Community at https://communities.centralengland.coop/
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Editor’s Notes:
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 2016/17.
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 http://www.centralengland.coop follo,w 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
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.
CONTACT US
Information on the charity can be found at http://www.newlifecharity.co.uk or the trading company at http://www.newlifetrading.co.uk. For further advice from the Newlife Nurse Services, call 0800 902 0095.
Newlife followers can also track Newlife on Twitter, http://www.twitter.com/newlifecharity and F,acebook, http://www.facebook.com/newlifefoundation.
Newlife’s Chief Executive Officer is Mrs Sheila Brown, OBE, FRSM. She is a parent of disabled children and a leading activist and speaker for the welfare and health of disabled children, awarded an OBE by the Queen in 2002 for services to child health.
Newlife can offer Editors and Journalists:
• Expert views/opinions
• Family stories
• Campaign information
• Interviews
• Photo opportunities
Issued by Newlife Foundation for Disabled Children, Newlife Centre, Hemlock Way, Cannock, Staffordshire, WS11 7GF.
For further information please contact Jane Vincent or Karen Cox at Newlife. Tel: 01543 468 888 or Email: jvincent@newlifecharity.co.uk or kcox@newlifecharity.co.uk