Co-op rallies food support for people in their local communities
It is always disappointing to see the number of people caught flouting the law.
CENTRAL England Co-op is asking its customers and members to ‘Take Heart in a Good Start’ in 2021 and help support people in their local community.
The retailer, with more than 260 stores across 16 counties, is thanking people for backing its yearround efforts to provide food for people in need via work with more than 65 local food bank partners and its partnership with Fareshare.
Co-op shoppers have donated a record-breaking 300,000 items via collection points in store and helped Fareshare Midlands create over a million meals for people just by shopping in their local convenience store.
Now, the retailer is asking people to continue that support as food banks and charities feel the strain and thousands of families struggle to eat on a daily basis.
Hannah Gallimore, Society Corporate Responsibility Manager, said: “Everyone at Central England Co-op wants to say a big thank you to our customers and members for helping us make a long-lasting and vital difference in our communities during 2020. “By supporting our food banks or just by you shopping with us in the past year, we have been able to help more people than before to ensure they have access to vital food and essentials. “However, we cannot rest on our laurels. We need to make sure we continue to donate items to food banks so they can keep up with demand and support the likes of Fareshare Midlands so they can provide to hundreds of local groups.
“Despite recent uncertain times, we hope 2021 will be brighter for all and if everyone can ‘Take Heart in a Good Start’ then it will give us a great launching point for the next 12 months.”
Items can be donated via in-store food bank collection points, including staples from tea, sugar and cereals to other essentials such as toiletries and hygiene products, to ensure people can maintain their dignity during times of crisis.
“Central England Co-op’s work with Fareshare sees all best-before food items and non-food goods that cannot be sold picked up by our distribution network, delivered to Fareshare and then sent to dozens of local charities,” said Hannah.
This donation equates to nearly 4,500 meals for people in need every day and saves charities over £52,000 a month as they do not have to spend that money on food and can invest it in other areas.
The retailer gives those who use Healthy Start vouchers an extra £1 to spend on food and essentials. Their allowance rises from £3.10 to £4.10 in Central England Co-op stores and, from April next year, from the Government set rate of £4.25 to £5.25.