Co-op shoppers raise £9,000 for two local causes
Shoppers at the Co-op on St Mary's have raised more than £9,000 for local charities in just six months.
Money raised by Co-op members via the store's Community Fund and from sales of carrier bags have been given to the Isles of Scilly Medical Launch Trust and St Mary's League of Hospital & Community Friends.
Store manager Darren Lowe posted on Facebook: "Thank you from all the staff for your continued support of your local Co-op store. We are very proud to announce that your 1% Community Fund and all profits from carrier bags sales at St Mary's Co-op store have raised the following Amount for Two Great LOCAL Causes."
He went on to reveal that £4,504 has been raised for the Medical Launch Trust and £4,769 for the League of Hospital & Community Friends, a total of £9,273.
Under the Co-op's recently releaunched Membership scheme, the Local Community Fund receives 1% of money spent by members on own brand products and services. This, along with funds raised from carrier bag sales, is used to support projects benefiting the local community.
Local groups can apply to be one of the Co-op's causes, after which members can vote for their preferred choice via their membership cards. Money each shopper raises will go to the group they personally specified.
Darren told This is Scilly News: "When the new membership scheme first came out and I looked at how much money we take from own brand products and carrier bags, I thought we could be looking at raising £15-20,000 per year for the community. It's a lot of money. There are two very, very happy local causes today."
The new beneficiaries of the scheme are Scilly's Girl Guides and the St Mary's League of Hospital & Community Friends, the two groups who applied this time around.
It will be possible to apply to become one of the store's next local causes when the new round of funding opens from May.