Shoppers give a £144,000 helping hand for hospices

Local hospices will receive a huge funding boost to continue the vital services they provide for people with life limiting illnesses, thanks to a fundraising campaign by Lincolnshire Co-op.

Nine charities that offer a wide range of care to people and families in the area were the Society’s chosen Community Champions from March to May.

A wide range of activities took place over the period to reach the £144,000 total, including fundraising, volunteering and raising awareness about the work hospices do.

Hundreds of colleagues took part in a sponsored pedometer challenge. Teams from across the business area got together to take part in organised walks, including food store colleagues completing a 12k trek along Cleethorpes coast and a team from Head Office walking 20 miles around each Lincoln food store.

Generous travel customers donated £1 to the cause every time they booked a trip at one of our 13 travel branches, adding thousands to the total.

Every time a member shopped in a Lincolnshire Co-op outlet using their dividend card, a donation was added to the fundraising pot. Proceeds from the carrier bag charge and staff fundraising were also added.

Lincolnshire Co-op’s Community Engagement Manager Sam Turner said: “We’re over the moon that communities have come together to raise such a fantastic amount of money for these truly worthwhile causes.

“Not many people know about the work that hospices do for people who are facing a really difficult time. The groups we worked with have shared inspirational and uplifting stories of the care they provide, because hospices are much more than just a place to die. We’re proud to support their work and message.”

A presentation took place at Olsen Park in Lincoln, where representatives from each hospice collected their portion of the £144,000 donation.

St Barnabas Hospice representatives received over £104,000 for their Lincoln, Louth, Gainsborough, Grantham and Spalding branches.

Head of Fundraising and Marketing for St Barnabas Veronica McBain said: “It’s breath-taking to have received something of that magnitude. It equates to roughly over 850 hospice at home visits, which means our nurses can go in to patient’s homes and deliver the hands on care that’s important at the end of life.

“It’s because of the community shopping at their local stores that Lincolnshire Co-op has been able to deliver this. It is absolutely out of this world.”