Western

A Quiz Jim... But not as we know it

Its day two of Coops Fortnight and i have been impressed by the amount of social media posts I have seen so far, it might be different this year, but we will still #KeepCooperating in different ways. On Friday 3 July the Western MCC of Central England Co-operative will be

Southern

The Show Must Go On

This week Karen Bevan, Member & Community Relations Officer caught up with Adam Jones, Secretary for the Ratae Co-operative Players and here is what he had to say:- “John Shaw has written a really good script for our next play “Dick Whittington and his Cat” and we all enjoyed

Western

Coops Fortnight Kicks Off

Today marks the start of Coops Fortnight for 2020. This Coops Fortnight will be a little strange due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but we will still bring you news and activity during the next two weeks. Over the next two weeks i will be blogging about all things Co-operative and

Western

Let's build something better together

Central England Co-op is marking Co-op Fortnight by shining a light on what it has been doing to support communities and some of the great acts of co-operation carried out by colleagues throughout the Coronavirus pandemic. Co-op Fortnight takes place between Monday, June 22 and Sunday, July 5 and the

Southern

Dreaming of the Beach

The latest project for our Lutterworth Watercolour Artists’ Co-operative was interpretations of “Beach Scenes” with over 30 contributions received from 20 members. This is a terrific effort by the members and we wanted to share with you some of the paintings which clearly show what a talented group they are.

Western MCC help support local Baby Foodbank

Recently the Western MCC donated baby food and toiletries to Brum Baby Bank in Birmingham.  Brum Baby Bank was set up very quickly as a result of Covid-19 to help support families on need who were struggling to get access to basic food and toiletry supplies. Issues around the purchase

Southern

Peonie elegance step by step

Our Floristry tutor, Sharon McKinder, is continuing to keep her students busy. Last week, Sharon set the task for creating arrangements using Peonies, supported with a step-by-step guide. Sharon and her students are really missing their classes and she said this has been a great way to stay in touch

Southern

Calligraphy group honing skills at home

Su Goodman, our Calligraphy tutor is continuing to keep her students busy with setting weekly homework for anyone who wants to take part and asking students to share their work with her. She is also on hand to offer advice and support to keep her students motivated and practicing their

Southern

Watercolour group keep busy in lockdown

This month – Lutterworth Watercolour Artists’ Co-operative were set the challenge around the theme of 'gates' and we have been blown away by the talent, humour and skill. It is has been a great way for members of the group to keep in touch, practice their skills, and immerse

Northern

From retirement to the shopfloor

Two stories for you to read from Philip Fee (Chair of the Membership & Community Council and Ollie Pardo, Vice-Chair), of their time providing support in stores near to where they live, to support the business during these challenging times. Retired retailer returns to the shopfloor to support Central England

Northern

Shop floor job swap

Membership & Community Council member, Joanna West, sharing her story of working in store and her time supporting the Community Hub in Littleover, in conjunction with the Derby City Council and Derby Country Community Trust. -0-0- A councillor has swapped stacking food onto shelves at one of our stores, to

Northern

The new frontline in a world of Covid-19

The Co-operative News article below, also includes a summary of the work of the MCRO’s redeployment into retail and supporting the community hubs. Co-operative News Article - Retail workers are the interface between the public and essentials they need. They are also most likely to be one of the

Southern

Floristry Lessons Continue Digitally

Our Floristry Tutor, Sharon McKinder, has been keeping her students creative by sharing step to step guides on how to make beautiful creations using seasonal flowers found in gardens. The students are really grateful to Sharon for continuing to help them learn new skills and the support and encouragement she

Western

Community Hubs Reach Milestone...

As I write this blog I am reflecting on the outstanding work Central England Co-op, Lichfield District Council(LDC), Stafford Borough Council(SBC) and Burton Albion Community Trust(BACT) have been doing to provide essential shopping needs to our community who are vulnerable or self-isolating in the Western Region. The

Southern

Southern MCC support Corona Kitchen in Kettering

When we first heard about the Corona Kitchen in Kettering, the Southern MCC were very keen to donate some vouchers to this very worthy cause. We very much look forward to being able to visit when the Lock-down is lifted and look at other ways on how can we can

Southern

Leicestershire & Ratby Co-op Bands Clap for Carers

Both of our Bands have been supporting the Clap for Carers evenings each Thursday at 8pm by playing their instruments outside of their respective homes. Here is what Liz from our Leicestershire Co-op Band had to say:- "I just thought  I’d share our support of the clapping

Southern

Calligraphy Tutor keeps students motivated during Lockdown

Su Goodman, our Calligraphy Tutor, has been keeping students on task by sending out regular emails - this is what she recently had to say:- New Term Calligraphy 20.04.20 Week 5 "Today should be the start of a new Term. Traditionally in the next 2 days,

Southern

Whetstone Drama Group Keep Members Entertained during Lockdown

The Whetstone Drama Group (who receive a grant from the Southern Membership & Community Council) have been keeping members entertained with a weekly quiz, which is organised and run by Steve Cutler and Ben Thomas. Yesterday evening I was invited to join them and really enjoyed taking part.  Steve and

Western

What's been going on this week! Community Hubs, Members Keeping in Touch and more...

As I write this blog on Sunday 19 April, I think back to what has happened this week, how we are supporting our community, keeping in touch with members and doing good at a time when we need it most. Firstly I want to give you an update on the

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Hear How our Member Groups are Staying in Touch during Covid19 - Co-operation in Action!

Desne, our Keep Fit Tutor, and Jayne who attends her classes, have been busy keeping members who attend the classes occupied and this is what they had to say: Attached are some screenshots of our conversations in the Whatsapp group. There are 20 of us in it, some others haven&

Western

Central England Co-operative Delivers in Staffordshire

I am writing this post on a nice sunny Monday morning during what would have been a fun filled Bank Holiday weekend with the family, but as we all know times currently are not what we expected. But through adversity comes determination to succeed, and colleagues and I certainly achieved

Community spirit shines through during uncertain times

During these uncertain times it has been heartening to see instances of how local people and our colleagues have come together to support their communities. It has lifted the spirits to see our co-operative values of social responsibility and caring for others being lived and breathed by both colleagues and

Southern

Member groups update in Southern region

With the ongoing lockdown in place during the Coronavirus pandemic our Member activities and groups are currently postponed. We know how important these groups are to our Members and the social bonds and friendships that have been created. Here is an update from Southern MCC Chair Hilary Allen (pictured) on

Western

CEC launches new community initiative and members use online to connect

I am writing this on Sunday 5 April at the end of my second week back supporting our front line colleagues in store. This week has seen Central England Co-operative (CEC) team up with two local councils to help the vulnerable in our community, and our Member Line Dance Group

Southern

Leicester store volunteer says it has been a ‘privilege’ to support her local community

A Leicester community hero has showcased the best in co-operative values by volunteering to support her local Central England Co-op store to provide food and essentials to her community. Hilary Allen is a part of the Society’s Southern Membership and Community Council (MCC) and has been lending a hand