Christmas extravaganza set to boost charity coffers and help the homeless this winter in Birmingham
Posted by nathan lloyd | Published: 18/11/2016
A team of Central England Co-operative florists are set to use a Christmas extravaganza event to help support the homeless this winter.
Colleagues from The Co-operative Florist, in Great Barr, will be welcoming the entire community to an event on Saturday, 3 December, to celebrate the festive season.
As well as offering youngsters the chance to meet Father Christmas and collecting donations for the Society’s corporate charity Newlife, the team has issued a plea to anyone who attends to bring along items such as hats, scarves and gloves to support the Salvation Army in the area.
Susan Carty, team leader at The Co-operative Florist Great Barr, said: “We are delighted to be able to welcome customers and members to celebrate the festive season with our Christmas extravaganza.
“Youngsters will be able to meet Father Christmas and adults will be able to enjoy a mince pie and a drink by offering a small donation to Newlife alongside a host of other activities.
“We are also really proud to be doing something for those in need of extra support this winter. We have teamed up with the local Salvation Army branch to launch a special collection for warm winter clothes.
“We are asking anyone coming to the event to bring a spare pair of gloves, a hat or scarf, which will then be used to help the homeless this winter as part of special parcels packed at the Salvation Army citadel, in Birmingham.”
The event, which will run from 11am to 3pm at the Co-operative Florist, in Walsall Road, will also feature face painting, a raffle, a tombola and carol singing.
There will be a colouring competition for children and staff will be dressing up as pantomime characters to mark the occasion.
More information about the event and how you can support Newlife and the Salvation Army is available by calling the Great Barr team on 0121 3586641.
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