Co-op launches recruitment drive and urgent food bank appeal following coronavirus outbreak

The Co-op is urging communities in Derbyshire to come together and support one another as it outlines a range of measures to help those whose lives have been affected by coronavirus.
Your local Co-op is appealing for food donations amid the coronavirus outbreak.Your local Co-op is appealing for food donations amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Your local Co-op is appealing for food donations amid the coronavirus outbreak.

The retailer is looking to help vulnerable people such as the elderly and those on lower incomes at this difficult time.

The society is launching an urgent food bank appeal to support its charity partners after they reported a major fall in donations at the same time as a spike in demand.

It is also launching a mass recruitment drive for customer service advisors in many of its stores to ensure the community continues to be served.

The retailer has also made a donation to boost its partnership with FareShare Midlands, paying for vital extra transport and staffing costs to make sure that more emergency food packages continue to be delivered.

A dedicated online hub has also been launched to provide regular updates on the society response to the coronavirus, exact details on its work to help those in need in the local community and hints and tips for people affected.

Central England Co-op chief executive Debbie Robinson said: “As a co-operative retailer, we want to make sure we are leading the way for our communities during this difficult time.“We are launching an urgent food bank appeal and we are asking people to show their co-operative spirit and donate an item or two so our food bank partners can provide emergency food and support to individuals and families.

“We also wanted to say we are working hard with our suppliers to make sure that shelves are regularly re-stocked, as a community retailer we know how important it is for everyone to have access to good quality food and vital essentials.

Items needed for the food bank appeal include cereal, tinned food and fruit, tea bags, dried pasta, rice, long life milk, sugar, biscuits, fruit juice and squash, pasta sauce and instant coffee.

Donations will be collected up from Central England Co-op stores and used to create food parcels, which contain around 11 items and will provide at least three days’ worth of meals for those in need. Visit www.centralengland.coop/updates for more information.