Poorly youngsters in hospital get a Christmas Day boost in Leicester thanks to donation of £7,000 and hundreds of toys
Posted by rob smyth | Published: 12/12/2017
Kind-hearted Central England Co-operative customers, members and colleagues have donated over £7,000 worth of funds and toys to put smiles on the faces of children in hospital this Christmas.
The team at the Society’s Groby Road food store have been working with the Leicester Royal Infirmary (LRI) Children's Ward for several years.
Team Leader Michelle Smith has been a driving force in raising money throughout the year for the Children’s Ward as well as collecting trolleys full of toys that will be given to youngsters and their siblings who find themselves in hospital on Christmas Day.
This year, the team, working with colleagues from Hallam Crescent food store, have raised over £7,000 and collected over 500 toys which they handed over as part of a special presentation.
Michelle said: “On behalf of everyone who donated and helped out, I want to say a big thank you for raising this amazing total and collecting all of the great gifts for youngsters who find themselves in hospital over Christmas.
“The work undertaken by the LRI Children’s Ward is very close to all of our hearts and this is why we are so passionate about raising funds for such a good cause.
“We have been overwhelmed by the generosity of our customers and members and their willingness to go out of their way to support our fund-raising and toy collecting.
“There is no better feeling than heading up to the hospital and seeing the smiles that these donations bring to the faces of poorly girls and boys - it really is priceless and showcases perfectly how at Central England Co-op we work to bring the community together to help those in need.”
A range of events were organised across the year to raise funds including a coffee and cake morning and sponsored silence.
As well as boosting the spirits of children and staff of the LRI Children’s Ward, money will also be raised for Dementia UK, Central England Co-op’s corporate charity.
Sally Markley, Play Co-ordinator for University Hospitals of Leicester Children’s Hospital, said: “I would like to say a very big thank you to Central England Co-operative for thinking of us at Christmas time on behalf of our patients, their families and our staff.
“We are always busy throughout the year but the run up to Christmas is our busiest time of the year. We have lots of poorly children and families who are desperate to get home for Christmas; however we try to ensure that those who cannot get home have a special time with us.
“We are extremely grateful for the time and effort you have put into fundraising – we see first-hand how it helps make Christmas in hospital much more special for the babies, children, young people and their families.
“Your efforts will ensure that every child in hospital on Christmas Day receives a sack of presents from Santa who visits the wards early on Christmas morning.”
Notes to editors
Picture caption: Staff from Central England Co-op’s Groby Road food store visited Leicester Royal Infirmary (LRI) Children's Ward to handover over £7,000 worth of donations and toys to support poorly youngsters.
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 gross sales of £927 million in 2016/17. The Society’s principal areas of activity are 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 2017.
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