Colleague News: Debbie's Message, Survey & D&I Week

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Published 8 Sep 2026 in Colleagues

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This week in Colleague News: Debbie visits Botley FoodCoop, the colleague survey is coming soon, and National Inclusion Week gets underway with events and drop-in sessions.

A great start to September – A message from Debbie

September often brings a change of pace as the summer holidays end, schools reopen and many people return to familiar routines. Across OurCoop, colleagues in every part of our family of businesses are there to support them – from caring for children and helping with the weekly shop to arranging a well-earned break, keeping people connected and supporting families through difficult moments. Behind the scenes, many more colleagues help make all of this possible.

I saw a great example of this everyday support when I recently visited our fabulous FoodCoop store in Botley, Oxfordshire, where I had the pleasure of meeting James and many of his wonderful colleagues.

I could immediately see what a warm, welcoming and inclusive group they are. The store looked excellent, and it was valuable to hear about its performance and the work taking place to serve members, customers and the local community.

The store’s recent results, including a significant increase in sales, reflect the hard work, commitment and care the team brings to the store each day. It was encouraging to hear how they are building on that progress and continuing to provide a great experience for members and customers.

Below - Meeting with Store Manager, James East and the fantastic team at Botley FoodCoop

Left to right: colleagues Jackie, Aud, James East and Sarah

Left to right: colleagues Paul, Az, Jackie, James East, Ella and Jenny

James also shared lots of brilliant ideas for increasing sales even further and I look forward to seeing the impact they have.

I also filled my trolley with some fantastic local products, including produce from Oxford Wholefoods, a local supplier that provides valued employment opportunities within the community.

Thank you to James and everyone at Botley for making me feel so welcome, supporting one another and providing such excellent service to our members and customers.

As we begin a new month, thank you to colleagues across OurCoop for everything you do to support people through life’s important moments and everyday routines.

Best wishes,

Debbie

Your voice matters – survey coming soon!

Our next colleague survey opens on 16 – 30 September.

Since our last survey in June, we know many of our colleagues have experienced changes at work, and we want to understand what’s working well and where there are still things we could do better.

Whether you took part in June or this is your first time completing the survey, your feedback can help shape what we focus on next.

Look out for more communications next week, and if you have any questions, please speak with your line manager.

National Inclusion Week – 14 -18 September

Last week we shared the exciting news that we’d be re-launching Our Inclusion Networks during National Inclusion Week.

To help you learn more about our Networks, our Networks Leads are hosting some informal sessions during next week. Pop these dates in your diary…

Monday 14th Sep - Virtual drop in on Teams 10am - 2pm - to register please email diversityandinclusion@midcounties.coop
Tuesday 15th Sep - In person drop in at Chestnut meeting room in Lichfield Support Centre 10am - 2pm
Wednesday 16th Sep - In person drop in at Leamington Support Centre 10am - 2pm

Inclusion happens in the everyday moments – join the inclusion in bitesize masterclass on Monday, 14 September at 2pm to discover simple ways you can make a meaningful difference to how colleagues feel included, valued and heard. Click here to register.