Community Heroes of the Year – Nomination at the Retail Week Awards

The awards main criteria states that those shortlisted must play a vital and unique role in their communities, and the work done by store manager Helen Traylor and her team through the programme to tackle youth unemployment through providing opportunities for long-term unemployed people in the Walsall community, truly exemplifies this.

Your Co-op has traded in Walsall since 1886, where almost 9.2% of the population are claiming benefits compared to 5% across the UK, and 22% of 16-64-year-olds are classed as economically inactive. Through offering personalised support, counselling, 121 mentoring, training and work experience, the programme supports young people with social anxiety, disability, lone parents, those who are neurodiverse, have mental health issues or learning differences.

In its 18 months, through 121 mentoring, counselling, training and work experience the programme supported more than 32 young people from across the West Midlands into work. This was a huge achievement as 61% had never had a job before.

Team members based at our Walsall store are trained in disability and mental health awareness, safeguarding and trauma informed practice with many Colleagues acting as role models, work buddies and trainers - providing direct support in partnership with the team at Miss Macaroon to train and develop those involved in the programme.   

The store itself has been specially redeveloped to aid its Fairer Futures cohort in their growth and learning. This includes a training room and a quiet space for counselling, as well as changes made to the store layout and till volume levels to create an inclusive and welcoming environment.   

The programme has been truly embraced by the store team, and that is evident in the feedback from Alex Bond, a recent graduate:   

“It’s the people who really make the programme – they were all so passionate about helping us, while also making it fun and interesting to learn on the job. It was great.”   

Some of our Fairer Future Graduates inside the new training room (also a quiet space) in our Walsall Town Centre Food store