Co-op News September 2021

6 | SEPTEMBER 2021
RETAIL
Midcounties works with local councils to fight school holiday hunger
Midcounties Co-op has partnered with
three local councils to help feed more
than 7,000 children over the summer
holidays as part of its mission to tackle
food poverty.
The society has joined forces with
Dudley CVS and Dudley, Walsall and
Shropshire councils to create meal boxes
to feed a family of four for up to four
nights, and deliver them to selected
homes, holiday clubs and libraries across
their communities on a weekly basis.
The meals have been designed in
partnership with qualified nutritionist
and in-store chef Judy Cheyne, who has
also developed recipe cards and videos
that the children can follow at home.
The initiative follows a series of
commitments from Midcounties to help
p Food from the society ready for distribution
deliver food justice, including a food bank
fund that raised more than £50K during
the Covid-19 crisis, joining forces with
other co-ops to campaign for food justice,
becoming a member of Marcus Rashford’s
Child Food Poverty Taskforce, and
continuing to provide essential support to
food banks across its communities.
Group CEO Phil Ponsonby said: “Food
justice is a real issue and we’re extremely
passionate about driving change to ensure
that no one is left behind. In the current
climate, it’s all too easy for families
experiencing financial difficulties to fall
into food poverty, and we’re committed
to being a leading part of a movement to
stop that.
“By working together as a society, with
our members, local stakeholders, and likeminded
organisations and individuals,
we know we can make a difference. I’m
extremely proud that these councils have
come to us as the partner on this initiative,
and we’re delighted we are able to help.”
Co-op Group adds
OneBanks kiosks to
three Scottish stores
The Co-op Group has introduced banking
kiosks from OneBanks to three of its stores
in Scotland.
OneBanks is a community banking
service which offers banking services to
people in areas where there are no longer
any bank branches, or want face-to-face
services because they have been left behind
by the move to digital. It offers services no
matter who people bank with.
Services are already on offer at the
Group’s Denny store, in Falkirk, and a
new kiosk at its convenience store in
Kilwinning, in the west of Scotland, will
enable customers to deposit and withdraw
notes and coins, and manage payments
for utilities and other bills.
An additional kiosk in Lochgelly, Fife, is
also planned for the coming weeks.
The Kilwinning trial will feature an
updated kiosk design which is wheelchair
compatible, with team members equipped
and trained to support those who are hard
of hearing through the SignLive app.
Kilwinning will also test out a new
facility, developed in partnership with
G4S, which means customers can deposit
p OneBanks' team at the Denny kiosk
coins as well as notes, and manage
payments for utilities and other bills. The
facility has a touch screen which allows
customers to buy goods and services from
online providers such as Amazon using
cash, and receive change in coins.
Mark Matthews, director of innovation
and formats at the Group, said: “Co-op is
committed to connecting communities and
operating at the heart of local life. We are
working with partners to develop added
services and choice, finding innovative
ways to expand access to products and
services locally, and create a compelling
offer to serve our members and customers.”
The OneBanks’ shared branch concept
received a boost in May when UK Finance
and the largest retail banks and building
societies launched the Access to Cash
Action Group, examining ways that
businesses and individuals can continue
to use cash for everyday banking. As
part of its existing co-operation with the
banks’ Community Access to Cash Pilots,
OneBanks is providing data to feed into
the design of possible models that will
meet that objective.
Services are provided free to customers,
whichever bank they use. OneBanks says
the Denny kiosk has proven popular with
small businesses because it has enabled
them to avoid a round trip of nearly 15
miles to their nearest open bank branch to
bank their cash takings.