Community work

Community involvement sits at the very heart of our business. Every year our employees are encouraged to volunteer for community projects or schemes. From decorating and gardening at local schools and community centres to carrying out maintenance work at an animal sanctuary, the work they have done has made a significant social impact.

To maximise this impact, we highlighted five main themes on which to base our community activities. These are: Climate Change, Social Inclusion, Tackling Crime, Good With Food and Modern Co-operation. For all five, we actively support initiatives that strengthen communities and excluded sectors of society, be it through funding, partnerships or staff volunteering programmes.

Our Group Volunteering Programme is the most visible display of our commitment to the community. Through it, staff can engage with their local communities, producing benefits not only for members of those communities, but for themselves and the business as a whole. Staff can opt for individual opportunities – such as joining a School Governors board - or for team challenges such as clearing a community garden. Whatever the activity, they receive support from their manager – including time off at his or her discretion.

Community Challenge is our newest volunteering initiative, launched in 2006 to bring staff and members together into teams. Among the 50 nominated schemes was Hendon Young People’s Project in Sunderland, which works with children and young people to help them develop both physically and mentally. Here, 18 staff from stores across the city pulled out the stops to clear an overgrown garden and transform it into a nature trail and wildlife area. Elsewhere, in Kirkcaldy in Scotland, 12 Co-operative Group staff (plus eight of their friends and family) rolled up their sleeves to redecorate the playroom and outdoor play area at Linton Lane Playgroup. In each case, the Co-operative Group provided the funds needed for tools and materials.