Happy New Year!

Firstly, I want to thank all those colleagues who worked so hard over the crucial Christmas trading period and to wish you all a Happy New Year. For my first blog of 2019, I wanted to highlight some of the activities that have been happening across our trading area over the Christmas period and to extend my congratulations to some exceptional individuals who for me exemplify the Co-operative Difference.

 

For most of us, Christmas is an enjoyable time but it is also a difficult time for some of the most vulnerable so unsurprisingly it represents the peak demand for food banks. We now have food bank collection points at many of our sites which we run in conjunction with independent charities including the Trussell Trust. They form part of the Trussell Trust’s network of over 420 foodbanks which operate across the UK.

 

Over the festive period, our food banks were particularly busy and helped provide a minimum of three days’ emergency food to people experiencing crisis across our 20 Regional Communities. However, this year as well as supporting food banks through in-store donations I’m proud to say that four of our Food stores (Bath Road, Bicton Heath, Botley and Longlevens) donated all their unsold food on Christmas Eve to their local food banks.

 

At Head Office, we also did our bit with colleagues taking part in a ‘reverse advent calendar’. The idea was to donate an item of food instead of enjoying a chocolate from an advent calendar. As a result, we contributed nearly 1300 items to the Leamington & Warwick Foodbank which were distributed to families in need across Warwickshire.

 

Our funding of charities and other good causes over the last year has also really benefitted the local communities we serve. For example, we gave a low level and a community grant to Tividale Park in Sandwell near Birmingham to install a stunning commemorative WW1 bench and some new ‘pencil’ litter bins in the park. You can see pictures of the bench and the bins in place on the park's website here.

 

 

The WW1 commemorative bench installed at Tividale Park

 

We also gave over £4000 from carrier bag funds to help erect a granite memorial at Yarnton village near Kidlington in Oxfordshire in conjunction with the Royal British Legion. The granite obelisk which was made by our Funeral colleagues now forms the focal point for remembrance in the village.

 

The obelisk at Yarnton village made by our stonemasons

 

In the Queens New Year Honours, I wanted to highlight two people who both deservedly received MBEs. Vivianne Morgan, better known as Viv, founded Northleigh House School at Hatton near Warwick and is now their Chair of Trustees. The school was established in 2012 to help vulnerable secondary aged children and our colleagues regularly volunteer there. Rosie Ginday also known as Miss Macaroon is one of our Best of Our Counties suppliers and I have seen at first-hand the massive impact she has had on the lives of the people she helps. Congratulations to both of them on their awards.

 

Viv Morgan MBE, Chair of Trustees, Northleigh House School (second from right)

 

Rosie Ginday MBE aka Miss Macaroon

 

As we begin 2019, I look forward to highlighting many more charities and good causes on my blog that we will be supporting over the coming year. If you have a fundraising event or volunteering activity you’d like me to highlight please get in touch.