November 2017

Midcounties Co-operative’s regional communities
THE SCHEME
20 Regional Communities have been established
where the Society’s members and colleagues come
together to provide support for local charities
and community groups. They do this through
volunteering, fundraising and distributing
grants from its Community Fund and carrier bag
monies. The Midcounties has recently launched its
Sustainable Communities programme, which will
complement the ongoing support of its 20 Regional
Communities by helping them to become more
environmentally sustainable.
HOW IT WORKS
A steering group, which is open to colleagues,
members and board members to be part of, is tasked
to research and identify the issues most important
to each community. 10,000 members were involved
in voting for which local opportunities to support
across all 20 Regional Communities. Each Regional
Community also has a partnership with a local
charity. This sees members and colleagues come
together to provide impactful and sustainable
support for local community groups through
volunteering and fundraising initiatives.
THE AIM
Each Regional Community has pledged to
tackle issues that have the greatest impact
on the community, and aims to engage all
members of the community in supporting these
alongside local groups and charities. Sustainable
Communities aims to ensure that this support is
also geared towards helping to build strong and
sustainable communities.
THE IMPACT
Members, colleagues and customers have donated
over 70,000 products to foodbanks in 2016
(compared to 24,000 in 2015), which has provided
meals to over 1,000 families in need.
Colleagues delivered over 36,000 volunteer
hours in 2016 to support their local communities
(compared to 26,000 in 2015). 234,000 volunteering
hours have been provided by colleagues in the
community over the last 10 years.
Over £390,000 has been distributed to across 500
local community groups and good causes through
grants and carrier bag monies. Colleagues have
engaged with over 9,000 young people (an increase
from 1,000 in 2015) through a range of initiatives
working with over 50 schools and higher education
partners across our trading area.
TAKING ACTION
The Central Oxford Regional Community Group has
chosen The Gatehouse, a drop-in café for homeless
people, as its local charity partner. Midcounties has
previously helped to raise more than £6,000 for the
café and has now made the partnership official,
with plans for more fundraising already unde rway.
Six days a week the café serves hot food and drinks
to homeless people over the age of 25.
This partnership is an example of how some
simple fundraising activity can be just the
beginning of a longstanding, meaningful and
supportive relationship – something Midcounties
is keen to build wherever possible.
The Gatehouse project director, Katrina
Horne, said: “We’ve been lucky enough to work
with the Midcounties Co-operative in the past,
receiving donations from its carrier bag fund and
its colleagues baking cakes, which were greatly
appreciated by our guests who miss the comforts of
home-cooked food.”
p Midcounties supports
a drop-in café for the
homeless
NOVEMBER 2017 | 33