Supporting Your Community & Future Planning

Whilst we will technically see the end of the second national lockdown next week, the restrictions being implemented through the tired system highlight that the risks to all of us are very much still apparent. I know that our Board very-much appreciates the continued commitment of our colleagues in playing your part and keeping our communities as safe as possible. It was encouraging to hear the news about how families will be able to celebrate this festive season and the progress that is being made on the various vaccines, giving hope to everyone for a more prosperous 2021.

Supporting Your Community

With the festive period firmly in our sights, not only will we be focused on serving the thousands of members and customers that will come through our doors, but we will also continue to support the most vulnerable members of our communities for whom Christmas could be an especially difficult time. 

Throughout December in our stores, we will be asking members and customers to donate food, toiletries, or other items to local food banks and as part of our support for our food bank partners, we will be encouraging donations to our Food Bank Fund.  We will also be working with other retail Co-op's across the UK to raise awareness about the issues of food poverty and food injustice and asking the wider public to #GiveALittleSomething.

Planning for the Future

Looking forward, this week it was great to spend time over three days with some of the senior managers across the majority of our trading businesses as part of building our 5-year plans.  This year the process has been greatly helped by our insights team led by Melody Aguero, Head of Brand Strategy and Insights, with some high-quality work looking at consumer trends, which has been incorporated into all the trading groups planning.  It should come as no surprise that putting our members at heart of what we do has been central to all the strategies. 

I am really pleased with the quality of these plans, which give me great comfort that the Society is well-positioned to rebuild after the Covid-19 pandemic and importantly with co-operative values integral to all our future plans. 

I know that some of you will have helped build these plans, so thank you.  It is together that we will deliver them to ensure we are trusted by our members to make their lives less complicated and more rewarding in their day-to-day.

Finally, next week we will be communicating to members about the great festive rewards from Your Co-op, how we continue to support Your Communities and letting them know just how much we appreciate you, our colleagues, letting them know we are closing early on Christmas Eve.

As always, if you have any comments or questions then please leave them below.