Exhibition showcasing ‘Fifty Fantastic Females’ from the Leicestershire area takes up new residence at Central England Co-op store
Posted by james brindle | Published: 11/03/2019
Central England Co-operative is continuing to support a unique project in Leicestershire marking 100 years since women received the vote by providing it with a home in one of its Food Stores.
Members of The Hero Project have joined forces with staff at Central England Co-op’s Glenfield Supermarket to house the ‘Fifty Fantastic Females’ exhibition at the Station Road Food Store.
The exhibition, featuring 50 life-size cut outs created by local people, was based at the retailer’s Coalville store when it began in September before its most recent tour stop at the Atkins Gallery in Hinckley.
However it has now been rehomed in Glenfield to give more people in the county a chance to enjoy the inspirational display.
Liz Quinn, Glenfield Store Manager, said: “We are proud to be part of our local community and hosting this exhibition in the store is a great opportunity to support an important project honouring inspiring women from the Leicestershire area past and present.
“I’m sure it will really grab the attention of our shoppers and I would encourage people of all ages to visit and find out more.”
The exhibition has been given a temporary home by Central England Co-op thanks to a grant from the Society’s Southern Membership and Community Council (MCC).
It has proved extremely popular during its stay in Coalville and followed on from a previous exhibition by The Hero Project, also supported by the Society, which remembered the town’s first 50 First World War soldiers.
The Hero Project director Deanna Wildgoose said: “Everyone involved in the project would like to thank Central England Co-op for their continued support. The Coalville store provided a great home for the display but we are delighted to be able to go ‘on tour’ to Glenfield and give even more people across Leicestershire the opportunity to enjoy it.
“We thought this project would be a great way to mark the 100th anniversary of Parliament passing the law which allowed women to vote for the first time. The 50 life-size cut outs have been lovingly created by local people and each have individual themes celebrating inspirational women, both past and present.
“I hope the local community in Glenfield really enjoy the exhibition and celebrate the many inspirational women that have come from Leicestershire.”
The exhibition is now open at Glenfield Supermarket and can be viewed from 8am to 8pm Monday to Saturday and 10am to 4pm on Sunday.
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, travel shops, 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 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, and on Facebook: facebook.com/centralenglandcooperative
Rob Smyth and James Brindle at Central England Co-operative on 01543 421390
Email – publicrelations@centralengland.coop