Lichfield Central England Co-op customers help provide nearly 32,000 meals to support people in need
Posted by rob smyth | Published: 08/02/2018
Central England Co-op customers in Lichfield have been praised after donating over 13 tonnes of food to a local food bank – helping to provide nearly 32,000 meals to people in need.
New figures released by Lichfield Foodbank revealed that 13,386 kg of food has been donated by customers and members since a collection point was launched at the Boley Park store in 2014.
This has resulted in volunteers with the foodbank being able to provide an incredible 31,871 meals to people during times of crisis.
Boley Park Food Store Manager Kev Morris said: “Central England Co-operative is committed to working with local food banks across its trading area to provide emergency food and support to individuals and families in crisis.
“As a community retailer, we are aware that there are many people experiencing financial difficulties who may turn to food banks as a means of providing for themselves and their families.
“We are delighted to work with Lichfield Food Bank and are delighted to have helped provide meals for people across the area in need.
“We would like to thank our members and customers for supporting us in this project.”
The release of these figures comes just weeks after the end of a special foodbank appeal during the festive season at Central England Co-op.
Customers and members in Lichfield helped the Society collect over 60,000 food items over Christmas, which were used to create over 5,500 food parcels and 16,000 meals.
Central England Co-operative has permanent food bank collection points in hundreds of its stores all year, which have resulted in thousands of people every month from Birmingham to Norfolk being given enough food to cook meals.
The Society works with over 50 different foodbanks to provide emergency food and support to individuals and families in crisis throughout the year.
Items that can be donated include shopping basket staples from tea, sugar and cereals to other essentials such as toiletries and hygiene products to ensure people can maintain their dignity during times of crisis.
Ian Coxon, Supermarket Co-ordinator of Lichfield Foodbank, praised the generosity of Central England Co-op's customers.
He said: “Since our first collection at the Central England Co-op store in Boley Park nearly four years ago the equivalent of 22 meals have been donated to the foodbank each and every day.”
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, 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 2018.
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 / Heather Clapton at Central England Co-operative on 01543 414140
Email –publicrelations@centralengland.coop