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Radstock Co-op donates over £60k to support those affected by the Pandemic crisis

16 October 2020

Radstock Co-op is making additional donations to good causes which will bring the total amount this year to a whopping £60k.  A large proportion of this, was generated from the suspension of its membership dividend card scheme with all points earned during the suspension period (start of April to end of October)  converted to a cash equivalent and handed over as donations to UK charities dealing with the crisis.  So, members who shopped in the Society’s stores helped to support those in desperate need.

 

As a West Country based co-operative business, the Society has always endeavoured to play its part in times of hardship, suffering and difficulty.

 

Each of the following charities will have received £18,000; ‘NHS Charities Together’, which champion and support over 140 NHS charities to enhance patient experience and care.  The Trussell Trust, which supports a national network of foodbanks providing food and support to those in need. And FareShare, the UK’s longest running food redistribution charity which aims to cut down on food waste and divert it to those in need.  In addition, the Society’s chosen charities, We Hear You and Julia’s House, each receive an additional £750 and the Retail Trust, who support colleagues within the retail sector, will receive £500.  There have also been donations of laptops to a local school and financial support to other smaller local causes within the Society’s trading area. 

Another local charity that benefitted from the Co-op’s generosity, was the Midsomer Norton’s branch of Barnardo’s which support disadvantaged children.  Following the closure of the Radco, a pallet of shoes with a retail value of nearly £2k was donated to the cause which they could use to generate cash.

 

Julian Mines, CEO of FareShare South West said, "We are incredibly grateful to Radstock Co-operative Society for their support at this critical time. As part of the FareShare UK network, FareShare South West has doubled the amount of food we redistribute in response to the crisis, including supporting over 25 frontline organisations across Radstock and BANES working with the critically vulnerable. As the lockdown relents, the food crisis will be far from over. FareShare South West needs to be there in the coming weeks and months to ensure the most vulnerable don't go hungry. This generous donation from Radstock Cooperative Society will both help ensure our emergency response can continue and the future of our work is secured."

 

Don Morris, CEO of Radstock Co-op said, “We are totally committed to doing our bit during these unprecedented and extremely challenging times.  We are grateful to our members and customers who have supported the causes by continuing to shop with us knowing that they are helping those in need in some small way. We are reinstating the Dividend Points scheme from 1st November, with a double points week from 1 – 7 November as a way of saying thank you to our members for their continued custom and support during the crisis.

 

Our colleagues have also played an extremely critical part in maintaining the supply of essential supplies to our local communities throughout this pandemic and I would like to take this opportunity to thank them all for their continued hard work and commitment.”