Children’s road safety lessons ahead of new £2.5m store opening

Each child could choose between colouring a template or drawing their own design. Out of the entries, three children were picked from each category to make six winners.

The road safety winning pictures will be displayed outside the store from Thursday 3rd July until opening day.

During an assembly Rox rewarded each winner with an arts and crafts kit and every child who entered received a multi-coloured pen.

Rox Croot said: “It’s been amazing to watch the children be so enthusiastic about learning road safety and see their faces when they received their prizes.

“The safety of the children is our priority, so we thank Coates Primary School massively for working with us.”

Coates Primary School Headteacher Lindsey Boucher said: “This has been a fantastic opportunity for the school to work alongside Lincolnshire Co-op to support the children to learn about road safety.

“We were incredibly proud of the number of entries received for the competition and the overall winners were very impressive.”

Lincolnshire Co-op also supports the community through its Community Champions scheme. When members use their dividend card, donations are made to local groups and good causes.

When the store opens, shoppers will be supporting Macmillan Cancer Support until 6th September 2025. From 7th September 2025 until March 2026, customers will then support Coates Primary School.

Previously, Lincolnshire Co-op raised money for breakfast clubs through the Community Champions scheme. When the society opens a store in a new area, breakfast clubs can receive support and Coates Primary School’s breakfast club will receive a donation.

The store will offer a wide range of services to the local community including fresh fruit and veg, chilled wine and beer, freshly baked bread, groceries and a variety of meal options such as COOK frozen meals, plus Costa Coffee Express and Tango Ice Blast machines.

There will also be a Lincolnshire Co-op’s Love Local range for shoppers featuring high-quality products from local producers like Grasmere Farm, based in Peterborough, and Elgood’s Brewery, located in Wisbech.

Elizabeth Hammond, Coates Food Store Manager, said: “We’re thrilled to be opening our doors soon and become a part of the fantastic Coates community.

“Our team have had time to bond by volunteering at Platinum Wood in Whittlesey and it’s lovely to see everyone getting on so well with each other. We’re looking forward to welcoming our customers into store on opening day!”