26th June 2016
Litterpick with Thringstone Co-op.
Thringstone village given a spruce up thanks to the Big Co-op Clean
Staff from Central England Co-operative Coalville food stores gave up their time to support Friends of Thringstone to clean up the local woodlands.
The clean-up operation at Thringstone, which took place on Sunday 26 June, is part of a UK-wide initiative, The Big Co-op Clean, where thousands of co-op members demonstrate the power of working together to make a positive difference to their local environment and community.
Jonathan Bird, Store Manager at Central England Co-operative, said: “We spent the morning with Nita from Friends of Thringstone litter picking in the woodlands. Nita is a fantastic community ambassador and litter picks every day to keep the local area clean and tidy.
“As a co-op we are a business that’s embedded in our local community. That’s why the Big Co-op Clean campaign theme resonates so well with us. It’s working with our members, customers and local authorities to improve our local environment – we made a positive difference and demonstrated what being a co-operative is all about.”
Nita Pearson, Chairman of Friends of Thringstone, said: “You are the first group in 12 years who has approached Friends of Thringstone directly to offer your support – hats off to you!
“It really does speak volumes; it shows what a co-op is all about and shows how passionate you are about supporting the local community. The team gave up their Sunday to battle through the woodland and uneven surfaces but the rain held off and we had a great morning – thank you Central England Co-operative.”
The Big Co-op Clean is part of Co-operatives Fortnight (18 June – 2 July), an annual awareness campaign to help people become more familiar with co-operatives in their local area.
Ed Mayo is Secretary General for Co-operatives UK, the trade body behind Co-operatives Fortnight. He said: “It’s great that Central England Co-operative, like so many other co-ops, is backing this year’s campaign. It’s a small way of demonstrating that co-ops are different to other types of business. Because they are owned by their members – employees, customers or suppliers – and not distant shareholders, local issues and concerns are more of a priority. That’s just one of the reasons why Central England Co-operative is taking action.”
