Co-operating together to stop Retail Crime
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Published 12 Apr 2024 in Phil's blog
Positive news – Assaulting a retail worker will be made a standalone criminal offence.
This week I was pleased to see the Government announce plans to make assaulting a retail worker a separate criminal offence.
You may remember back in February we asked colleagues and members to write to their local MP to call for action in tackling retail crime. Thousands of you answered that call and I wanted to thank everyone who has played their part collectively.
I know that every letter that was sent, and the tireless work of colleagues across the Society on this issue, will have helped to deliver this positive change.
This comes after more than six years of campaigning by the co-operative movement together with USDAW, retail trade associations and other retailers. Which truly demonstrates what the power of co-operation can achieve.
This is of course a major milestone, but it is not the end of the road. We will of course continue to work closely with local police forces to bring those who commit retail crime to justice and will always take a zero-tolerance approach to criminal incidents that affect our colleagues, members, customers and local communities.
Remarkable long service colleagues – 40 Years for Mark Taylor in Food & 35 Years for Karen Clempson in Travel
Our colleagues are what make Your Co-op so unique. That’s why I look forward to getting to know and hear from our remarkable colleagues when I am out and about on my visits.
This week I am delighted to recognise and celebrate two incredible colleagues who exemplify our values in every way. Mark Taylor, Head of Operations in Food Retail who has been with us for 40 years and Karen Clempson who is celebrating 35 years of service.
40 years long service - Mark Taylor (centre with a hamper) along with members of the Senior Food team
35 years long service - Karen Clempson, Senior Travel Advisor (third from left) along with Lizzi Davies, Travel Manager and Alison Holmes, Head of Retailing
It was wonderful to join Mark for his celebration ceremony in Warwick, to acknowledge his great service over 40 years and to share some great memories. Mark first started with us in 1984. After completing his Youth Training Scheme (YTS) (an early adopter of the apprenticeships we offer today), he progressed within the Food business to his current role as Head of Operations.
It was also wonderful to celebrate Karen Clempson’s 35-year-long service at Atherstone Travel. She has some great stories and I really enjoyed hearing about how the industry has changed over the years. Please join me in congratulating both Mark and Karen on their long service.
Join our Fairer Living Festival & AGM
I’m already looking forward to the Fairer Living Festival & AGM next month. This year the Fairer Living Festival will be focused on our community partners and how we are doing good together in local communities. This year it will take place at Walsall Football Club on 11 May. In addition to the usual formal Annual General Meeting (AGM), a great family day is being planned for our members, colleagues, and community partners.
For example, come along and meet Jay Blades from the BBC’s Repair Shop. He is a wonderful person who shares the same passion as us for sustainability and supporting communities. In addition, there will be a raft of fun family activities including cooking demonstrations, crafting, live music and children’s circus entertainment!
Bookings are filling up fast for what promises to be a great family day out. So come along and join in. Bring your family and friends and help spread the message to our members and customers. I look forward to seeing you there, so please keep an eye out for further updates as we countdown towards the big day!
Thought leading pioneers - Your Co-op nominated for ‘Retailer of the Year’ at the UK Green Business Awards & Younity at the British Renewable Energy Awards
Finally, I am pleased to share that we have been shortlisted for two awards over the last few days. The first is ‘Retailer of the Year’ in the UK Green Business Awards, with fellow finalists including Curry’s, Waitrose, Decathlon and Selfridges. This is a testament to our commitment to sustainability, the work we’ve done to improve energy efficiency, self-generation and to champion renewable energy, and is a great reflection on the efforts of all of us. The second is for Younity, our Joint Venture with Octopus, in both the ‘Financial Leadership’ and ‘Community’ categories in the British Renewable Energy Awards. Both award ceremonies, when we will find out the results, are in June.
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