Community groups celebrate vital funding support from Co-op Local Community Fund

20 November 2024

Community groups are celebrating vital funding support from Co-op’s Local Community Fund. to make a difference locally.

More than 2,500 local causes celebrate this week, with Co-op members locally driving the amount received by the community group by simply selecting the cause they would like to support via Co-op’s Membership App.

Thanks to Co-op Members, Co-op’s Local Community Fund has now shared more than £58 million with 20,500 community groups across the UK since 2020, making a difference locally and supporting the creation of strong and resilient communities.

The benefits to community groups also extends beyond the funding support, with 95% of causes saying that they felt more connected with their community as a result of participating in Co-op’s Local Community Fund and, participating in the scheme helped to raise their profile locally.

Rebecca Birkbeck, Director of Community and Member Participation at Co-op said: “Co-op is a different way of doing business - and as a business owned by you, we are committed to doing right by you and your community. Co-op members have a say on where they would like to see the support given in order to make a difference locally, and our Local Community Fund works to promote healthy and strong communities. We are delighted that as a direct result of our members shopping with us, causes in towns, villages and cities across the UK are this week celebrating receiving critical funding. We know things are increasingly tough for communities - this funding will help them with delivering the services and support that their community needs and create a real and tangible difference to local lives.”

(Rebecca Birkbeck, Director of Community and Member Participation, Co-op).

Funding is also boosted through the convenience retailer’s ‘Winners Share It All’ prize draw which offers 10 chances each month to win £5,000 for causes and £500 for Co-op members.

Co-op is one of the world’s largest consumer-owned co-operatives, with its history dating back 180 years. Its members own the business and play an intrinsic part in its governance with a say in how the organisation is run. Co-op exists to create social, economic and ownership value for its membership, including member-only price savings across everyday essentials, and personalised offers via the Co-op Membership App.

More information about the benefits of Co-op Membership is available by visiting www.coop.co.uk/membership

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About Co-op:
Co-op is one of the world’s largest consumer co-operatives with interests across food, funerals, insurance and legal services. Owned by millions of UK consumers, the Co-op operates almost 2,400 food stores, over 800 funeral homes and provides products to over 6,000 other stores, including those run by independent co-operative societies and through its wholesale business, Nisa Retail Limited. Employing 56,000 people, the Co-op has an annual turnover of over £11billion and is a recognised leader for its social goals and community-led programmes. The Co-op exists to meet members’ needs and stand up for the things they believe in.

Further information:
Andrew Torr
Senior Press Officer, Co-op Press Office
M: 07702505551
E: andrew.torr@coop.co.uk