East of England Co-op donates £100,000 to help sustain local warm hubs and foodbanks through the winter
29th November 2022
The largest independent retailer in the east of England has donated £100,000 to helping people in the region keep warm and fed this winter. The East of England Co-op has re-directed funds from its Christmas marketing budget to go directly to local warm hubs and foodbanks, helping local people in need of support this winter.
Working with Suffolk, Norfolk and Essex Community Foundations, £70,000 will be split among warm hubs. Warm hubs have been set-up to provide those who need it with a warm space, food and drink. Critically, the hubs also provide guidance and signposting to additional support for people using the service.
The remaining £30,000 will be donated to 25 local foodbanks. The donations will be given out in foodbank parcels in the form of vouchers which can be used to pay for items such as groceries, electric and gas top-ups from the East of England Co-op.
The money would typically be spent on marketing leaflets featuring the East of England Co-op’s Christmas offers, usually distributed to 0.5m homes across the region. The donation will instead benefit thousands of local people through Christmas and into January, February and beyond.
Niall O’Keeffe, joint chief executive of the East of England Co-op said: “Warm hubs have been created in the face of spiralling energy costs and demand on foodbanks this winter is expected to be unprecedented. In these difficult times we have been compelled to do more than we have ever done before. Re-directing our marketing spend to help people directly was morally the right decision knowing the difference the money will make to those most in need in our community.
“We are working closely with the Community Foundations to ensure this is a donation not just for Christmas, but that will continue to make a difference right through the winter and in particular the tough first few months of the year when there is typically a fall in charitable giving.”
The east of England is a world leader in clean energy generation with figures recently released by GENERATE showing that 32% of UK homes are powered by clean energy from our region. Despite so much energy on our doorstep, it is estimated more than half (51%) of households in the east will be living in fuel poverty by January 2023, ramping up demand on warm hubs.
Jackie Pobjoy, business manager at Walton Community Centre, one of the facilities benefiting from the donation commented: “We will be offering food, warmth, practical support and so much more, all under one roof, creating an accessible space which anyone can use without fear of judgement. Running a warm hub has the potential to make a huge difference in our community, particularly in Walton where there are no other services like this. We are extremely grateful to the East of England Co-op for their financial support, which will directly benefit so many people locally who are having to make a tough choice between heating or eating. It is a hard time for everybody right now.”
Henry Wilson from Reach Haverhill foodbank commented: “As the nights draw in and it is getting colder, more families need help from our foodbank than at any other time in our 14-year history. We have already fed more children in 2022 than any other year and we still have 6 weeks to go. Therefore, the very generous donation of vouchers for food and heating is incredibly welcome. We value the dignity that vouchers afford people, giving them far more choice and empowering families who find themselves facing a financial crisis and hardship.”
In 2020 the East of England Co-op launched the Foodbank Donation Gift Card. The card can be purchased in store and then be given as a gift at Christmas with 100% of the £5 purchase price going to local foodbanks. The card contains a message of thanks for helping local people in crisis. East of England Co-op customers are being encouraged to support however they can either through donations at the till point, by purchasing the Foodbank Donation Gift Card for someone or donating groceries at collection points in store. Niall added: “We want to make it easy for our customers to give back to their community and ethical gifting is an excellent way to do that.”
The marketing budget re-direct ends a significant year of giving for the East of England Co-op, which donated more than £400,000 to local charities and good causes in 2022.
For more information visit www.eastofengland.coop.
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More than £43,000 in grants awarded to community organisations across Essex
4th February 2022
The region’s largest independent retailer, the East of England Co-op, has awarded £43,978 in grants to 16 organisations supporting the local community in Essex, in the latest round of funding from its Community Cares Fund. The funding is expected to support nearly 20,000 local people.
The East of England Co-op set up the fund in April 2020 in response to the pandemic, and together with this latest round will have donated more than £490,000 to support local communities. The funding is supplemented by East of England Co-op members who contribute through their annual dividend.
Grants were awarded to local voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations that deliver projects supporting community action, food justice or mental health and well-being.
Beneficiaries of the £84,000 awarded across the region this round have ranged from community gardens to counselling services, reaching thousands of people in the community in Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk.
One of the beneficiaries is Inclusion Ventures, who have received a £4,500 grant to create a new community garden in Jaywick, Essex. The new space will be used by both children and adults to grow fruit and vegetables to help promote healthy eating and encourage appreciation for food.
Project Director, Sarah Hannass, comments: “News of this funding was so welcome in January; what a great start to the year. It will enable us to bring some warmth and nourishment to a variety of activities for our children, families and seniors from our brand new community hub in Jaywick.”
Lawford Church of England Primary School in Tendring has also received £1,500 to replace raised beds that help children’s understanding of gardening and how to produce healthy vegetables. The grant is awarded as the school is projected to double in size over the next 7 years.
Headteacher Abbie Fairbairn commented: “I am so pleased that we will be able to replace the raised beds that were lost through the construction process for our new building. The opportunity to support children’s wellbeing by gardening and making the links to where our food comes from will be an invaluable part of the support we can give our children for many years to come.”
Niall O’Keeffe, joint chief executive of the East of England Co-op commented: “Our Community Cares Fund is as important as ever to help support our communities through this challenging time. It was an incredibly difficult decision to choose the recipients as we once again had a large number of applications from lots of impactful and inspiring projects. We look forward to seeing all the work come to life and make a genuine difference at a critical time.”
The East of England Co-op works with the Essex Community Foundation to distribute and deliver the Community Cares Fund.
The next round of funding from the East of England Co-op Community Cares Fund is due to open in late Spring.
If you are in need of funding before then, please visit our apply for support page.
To find out how we can help you to support charities and community groups, click here or call Perry Norton on 01245 355947.
Granting New Year wishes through charity payouts
20th December 2021
The wishes of half a dozen local charities have been granted as independent Co-op, Chelmsford Star, completed its first round of payouts from their new Community Fund this week.
Six charities from across Essex, each benefiting our local community in entirely unique ways, received gifts of between £2,000 and £5,000 to assist them with their efforts and for specific projects and improvements.
These ranged from easing isolation for members of the BAME and disabled communities, providing housing and education to abandoned teenagers, or offering a counselling or advice service.
Nikki from Renew Counselling said; “Each of the groups benefitting today are shining a light in the darkness for the individuals they serve. How appropriate that the Chelmsford Star is helping provide some of that light.”
Other groups benefiting in the first round of payments include Southend YMCA, Happy Hill, Southend Christian Fellowship, the Essex Multicultural Activities Network and Braintree District Mencap Society.
Chelmsford Star Co-op has been providing assistance to hundreds of local groups for over 150 years, but it set up the Community Fund during lockdown as a way to give greater financial aid. Those benefiting from the grant are selected by its members from applications made to the Essex Community Foundation (ECF) who assist with the management of the scheme.
Head of Membership for the Society, Kevin Bennett, said; “A portion of every transaction made in our food, department stores or travel agents is redirected into this Fund, along with corporate donations, colleague fundraisers, sales of carrier bags and money from collecting pots left by our generous customers. Local customers and members raised this money and it all benefits local groups who need it. It’s why our Co-op is set up like it is.”
If you would like to find out more about the Chelmsford Star Co-op Community Fund, or perhaps apply for a grant for your own organisation, in the first instance please contact membership@chelmsfordstar.coop.
You can also contact the ECF grants team on 01245 356018.