July 2013
GENEROUS SHOPPERS PROVIDE A WELCOME BOOST TO THE HEREFORDSHIRE COMMUNITY
Co-operative members in the area have helped Herefordshire Heartstart to continue running courses for local people with a grant of £1,500.
The group received the cash boost from The Co-operative’s Community Fund, a pot of money accumulated by member customers opting to donate all or part of their annual dividend to good causes in the area. The money is distributed by The Co-operative’s local area committees.
Loraine Coleman, from Herefordshire Heartstart, said: “Funding is becoming ever harder to secure, therefore we were delighted to hear that we were successful in securing this grant from The Co-operative. The cash has made a huge difference to our group, and it means all the more knowing that the money has been donated by local people. We are thrilled to receive this amount to help us continue teaching vital lifesaving skills.”
Nathan Heighway, Manager of The Co-operative Food on College Road, said: “Supporting local communities has been an inherent part of The Co-operative’s values and principles since the very beginning of the Co-operative Movement. We are particularly proud of our Community Fund, as it demonstrates how the generosity of our members can make a real difference in their local area.
“I was particularly pleased to meet with Herefordshire Heartstart to present the cheque to them as we recently had an incident in our store when a customer collapsed and a member of my team was required to administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation, which really highlighted that these skills can be required at any given moment in any scenario. I’m pleased that more people will be trained on Hereford Heartstart courses thanks to this donation.”
Co-operative members receive a payment twice a year based on the points they earn when they trade at any of the Group’s businesses, including The Co-operative Food, Travel, Pharmacy and Funeralcare, as well as The Co-operative Bank, Smile and The Co-operative Insurance.
Community Fund application forms are available online at www.co-operative.coop/communityfund or by phoning 0844 262 4001. Awards are allocated by local Co-operative members’ committees, based on a set of values and principles such as social responsibility and caring for others.
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Notes to Editors:
The Co-operative Group is the UK’s largest mutual business, owned not by private shareholders but by over seven million consumers. It is the UK’s fifth biggest food retailer and a major financial services provider, operating The Co-operative Bank and The Co-operative Insurance. Among its other businesses are the number one funeral services provider, the third largest pharmacy chain and one of Britain’s largest farming operations. As well as having clear financial and operational objectives, the Group has also set out its social and sustainability goals in its groundbreaking Ethical Plan, which specifies over 50 commitments in these areas.
The Group operates 4,800 retail trading outlets, employs more than 100,000 people and has an annual turnover of more than £13bn. Further information is available at www.co-operative.coop
For further information, please contact:
Deborah Clark
Senior PR Officer
The Co-operative Group
Mobile: 07703 751 521
Deborah.clark@co-operative.coop