Co-op makes six-figure investment in sustainable spaces project
Central England Co-op is making a six-figure investment in a project that aims to create sustainable spaces that deliver lasting benefits in local communities.
Partnering with the Groundwork charity, the food retailer will be spending over £350,000 in developing a range of different spaces on land around its own retail stores and funeral homes. These could range from orchards and allotments to play areas or educational spaces, or could also support sustainable transport or recycling facilities.
The funding for the scheme has come from Central England Co-op’s carrier bag levy fund.
Hannah Gallimore, corporate responsibility manager at Central England Co-op, said: “At Central England Co-op we are committed to working with our communities to create a sustainable Society for all and have been looking at ways in which we can utilise some of the space we already have around our food stores and funeral homes to bring extra benefits to those areas and the people who live and work there.
“We know from the work we have already done with Groundwork on smaller projects that they are the perfect partner for this ambitious scheme and share a lot of our beliefs and principles around co-operation, education and community. Now we have this agreement in place we can begin to identify potential sites across our trading area and talk to those communities about what they would like to see in those areas and what will provide the most benefits to them.”
The locations chosen for the project will be revealed later this summer together with details of how people can get involved.
