Tag: Co-operative

Continuity assured as four co-operative funeral branches change hands

Posted on by ashleymarsh

Four Buckinghamshire funeral homes are being revamped after swapping over to new co-operative ownership.

The Co-operative Funeralcare branches in High Wycombe, Hazlemere, Wendover and Aylesbury are now being run by Southern Co-op after a successful move from Midcounties Co-operative.

Both are independently run regional co-operatives sharing a strong ethical ethos with community values and both operate a number of funeral branches under the national co-operative branding.

The acquisition takes the number of Southern Co-op funeral branches to 62 across the south of England.

Steve Pearce, Chief Operating Officer for End of Life Services at Southern Co-op, said: “This is an exciting time allowing us to expand our personalised support, care and experience to even more local communities at their time of need.

“We are also delighted to welcome on-board all of the existing branch colleagues who have chosen to transfer across to our team. We have already extended a warm welcome to them and have been working closely with Midcounties to ensure a smooth changeover.

“We look forward to serving these local communities and families in their times of need and also through our community support programme, Love Your Neighbourhood, which includes financial donations, goods donations and volunteering.”

The changeover will ensure the continuation of a strong, sustainable co-operative offering for Midcounties’ funeralcare customers as well as supporting Southern Co-op’s ongoing expansion of its funeralcare services.

All existing funerals and pre-paid plans will be honoured and carried out as arranged.

Southern Co-op is currently planning to refurbish the branches over the coming months to enhance the experience for new and existing customers.

Phil Ponsonby, Group Chief Executive of the Midcounties Co-operative, said: “Following the recent completion of the transfer of 50 of our funeral homes to Central England Co-op, we’re pleased to have completed the transfer of a further four homes to Southern Co-op. The agreement will also see all four staff from the homes transfer.

“We’re extremely proud and thankful for the commitment of all our funeralcare colleagues, particularly during the last year when they have shown remarkable strength and versatility to support the bereaved in such challenging times.

“The agreement with Southern Co-op means that more than 95% of our existing funeral business remains within the co-operative movement as we continue to strengthen our strategic focus and investment on our travel, food, childcare, utilities and healthcare services.”

UK’s first fully electric Tesla based hearse lands in the south of England

Posted on by ashleymarsh

Funerals are about to get greener in the south of England as the UK’s first fully electric Tesla based hearse is delivered to a regional, co-operative funeral services provider.

Southern Co-op, which operates just under 60 funeral branches across Berkshire, Dorset, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Somerset, Surrey, Sussex and Wiltshire, has taken delivery of the new, ground-breaking Wisper based on the Tesla Model S.

The hearse will be available at all of The Co-operative Funeralcare branches run by Southern Co-op and will enable families to say goodbye to their loved ones in a more environmentally responsible way.

With state-of-the-art technology and equipment, the entirely silent hearse is zero-emission with full electric operation, measuring around 5.8m in length and has a 220-mile single-charge range capability powered at Southern Co-op sites using electricity from renewable sources.

Steve Pearce, Southern Co-op’s Chief Operating Officer for End of Life Services, said: “This day has been a long time coming with delays caused by the pandemic and waiting for it to be approved for use on the UK’s roads. So this is definitely a time to celebrate and we won’t waste any time in getting it on the road.

“There is only one other existing electric hearse in the UK which is much more compact so we hope this will offer people an elegant alternative which echoes a more traditional appearance. It will also compliment an existing range of other eco-friendly products we offer as we all work together to tackle climate change and make a difference to our environment.”

As well as the hearse, delivered through funeral vehicle provider Coleman Milne, Southern Co-op is also the first funeral business in the UK to take delivery of two new hybrid Mercedes E-Class Limousines and two new converted E class Mercedes hybrid hearses.

These six-door models offer style and comfort with high tech accessories and an electric vehicle powertrain with the ability to run the vehicles in full electric mode for an entirely silent funeral procession.

Mark Smith, Chief Executive at Southern Co-op, said: “It’s important that we all work together to tackle climate change, so we are delighted to now be able to offer our customers the choice of a more environmentally favourable funeral fleet and to take the next step on our sustainability journey together.

“The appetite for change is there within our communities so, by making it easier for loved ones to make more informed choices, people can play their part in making a positive difference to our environment and our communities.”

Southern Co-op is currently working towards its ambitious science based targets to cut direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions from its business by 2030, supported by a climate action pathway of planned activity and an initial investment of £5.8m.

To view Southern Co-op’s long term strategy including its commitment to climate change and responsible business, visit www.thesouthernco-operative.co.uk/our-plan/.

Purbrook mum is on a mission to help local families in need

Posted on by ashleymarsh

After collecting stacks of donated uniforms to help struggling families, a Widley funeral co-ordinator is now turning her hand to food donations.

Linda Docherty has been working at Southern Co-op for over two years and recently moved to its branch of The Co-operative Funeralcare in Widley.

She had barely got her feet under the table before she started encouraging local groups to apply for funding available which led to Purbrook Mother and Toddler Group receiving a £500 donation.

In a thank you letter to Linda, the group said it will help towards rent, insurance, equipment and snack costs and enable them to keep running the group for local families for many months to come.

But Linda wasn’t content and soon paired up with Care and Share Waterlooville – a drop off/pick up point in Waterlooville for essential items that people struggle to afford in difficult times.

Rachel and Jamie from Care and Share Waterlooville said: “Thanks to Linda at the Widley branch of The Co-operative Funeralcare, she helped us at a time when we were super busy with our normal workload of help bank requests by becoming a drop off point for used and new school uniforms.

“The uniform items kindly delivered to us by Linda have been made available for families with children struggling, not just to afford the items, but also to find them with shops and local outlets running out of many items during the post COVID-19/Brexit driver shortage.”

Linda has now turned her attention to food and has set up a donation point in the branch in London Road to make it easy for people to drop off in the local area.

Linda, 54, said: “What an absolute achievement the uniform donations have been. People actually went out and bought uniforms to donate them.

“Being Purbrook born and bred, I want nothing more than to help those less fortunate than myself. I have been less fortunate than others as a single mum of three – now with two grandchildren.

“When you’ve been there and been in that situation then you know what it’s like not to have enough money for uniform or not enough food in the cupboards.

“Working for Southern Co-op has given me more of an opportunity and it’s the icing on the cake that the co-operative like you to help your community. People are always behind me whatever I have come up with which is amazing and I hope it is bringing some life back into Widley.”

Care and Share Waterlooville is currently looking for donations of tinned beans and sausages, hot dog sausages, coffee, deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, washing up liquid, bleach and scouring pads. All donations are gratefully received.

To get in touch with Care and Share Waterlooville regarding support, email careandsharewaterlooville@outlook.com or via its Facebook page www.facebook.com/Care-and-Share-Waterlooville-107127284558223.

Or for more information on funding from Southern Co-op’s Love Your Neighbourhood programme, visit www.thesouthernco-operative.co.uk/love-your-neighbourhood/.

My Sisters’ House Women’s Centre supported with essential donations

Posted on by ashleymarsh

A funeral co-ordinator in Rose Green is looking forward to making the first delivery of donated goods after she helped set up collection boxes in three locations earlier this year.

Shirley Heaton at The Co-operative Funeralcare in Nyetimber Lane initially approached the Bognor Regis charity My Sisters’ House and had a meeting with the CEO as it was a cause that touched her and her colleagues’ hearts.

The other Southern Co-op branches in Felpham and North Bersted also agreed to back the cause and were pleased to support the charity with a £400 donation via the Neighbourly Community Fund.

Southern Co-op – a regional, independent co-operative – donated £40,000 to the Neighbourly fund which was set up to support the causes and individuals most affected by the pandemic.

Shirley, who lives in the area, said: “I was given a tour of their offices and told about some of the services they offer to women. I was blown away with the support they offer to women in need of their help.

“When women finally take the step to move on from a relationship which has involved domestic abuse, they often have nothing. So one of the first things we wanted to help with was having collection boxes in our branches.

“Simple things like shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, socks and pants are all things we take for granted but, when you don’t have these, life is especially hard. My Sisters’ House gives out these items in the form of packs to help these women.”

My Sisters’ House is a women’s centre in Bognor Regis which provides advice, practical support and guidance to women who are suffering domestic abuse, poverty and mental health issues.

Julie Budge, CEO and Founder of My Sisters’ House Women’s Centre, said: “COVID-19 has resulted in many more families and individuals living in poverty where the choice is to buy food instead of basic toiletries. Coming up to Christmas this will be crucial as we will give out so many more packs.

“We are grateful for the donations being made as some of the things we are currently in need of are shampoo, deodorant, talcum powder, body wash, toothpaste, tooth brushes, flannels, towels, new underwear and hairbrushes.”

The charity celebrated International Women’s Day ahead of lockdown on Friday 6 March which the branches donated items for the tombola stall and volunteered at the event including baking cakes for refreshments.

Shirley said: “It’s been a taxing time for us all but we want to let people know that the donation boxes are still open for people to drop off goods to us for My Sisters’ House.

“Due to lockdown, we’ve only just been able to get enough together to make the donation which we’re looking forward to dropping off to the centre very soon. A big thank you to everyone who has helped with this.”

Colleagues at Southern Co-op’s free bereavement support service, Bereavement Care, have also offered their help in assisting with counselling and training in bereavement workshops.

To find out more about making a donation, contact The Co-operative Funeralcare – Rose Green on 01243 268681 or RoseGreenFuneral@southerncoops.co.uk.

Organisations based near Southern Co-op’s stores or funeral homes can apply for grants using their new or existing Neighbourly profiles via www.neighbourly.com/goodcause/ and using the referral code SouthernCoopPartner.

Loved ones remembered with a star this Christmas

Posted on by ashleymarsh

Special greetings cards with a pop-out star are being sent out to families who have lost a loved one this year to let their memories shine bright this Christmas.

Residents are being invited to hang their stars on memory trees being put up in Southern Co-op branches of The Co-operative Funeralcare throughout December.

There will also be a special event held in branches on 11 December between 1pm and 3pm for people to gather together and share stories and mince pies.

The trees will give everyone the opportunity to write a personal message to someone who is no longer with them this Christmas.

Ingrid McAllister-Derry, from Southern Co-op’s free Bereavement Centre, said: “After someone close to you has died, any celebration can be particularly hard.

“The memory stars give people the opportunity to re-live happy moments and make sure their loved ones are still included in this special time of year.

“For those who are finding it particularly hard, we have advice on our website and our free bereavement support is available to everyone.”

The cards are being sent out to all families who have been supported by a Southern Co-op branch of The Co-operative Funeralcare and they are also available free in-store for others to place a star on their trees.

Please contact local branches for further details which can be found here.

Information on free bereavement support is available on www.bereavementsupportgroups.co.uk.

Everyone is invited to visit Alton’s newest funeral home

Posted on by ashleymarsh

Residents are invited to tackle the taboo of death at the official opening of Alton’s newest funeral home.

The event will be an unusual mix of charity, cakes and coffins at The Co-operative Funeralcare branch at 71 High Street.

Whether residents are overwhelmed by the idea of funeral planning or simply want to plan ahead, the event is open to everyone on Wednesday 10 July from 3pm to 6pm.

A special donation will also be made to The Vokes Lunch Club which provides a local place for the over 60s in Alton to meet others and have an enjoyable lunch in a safe place.

Funeral Co-ordinators Emma Dulieu and Jane Turk are looking forward to welcoming people into the branch which is part of Southern Co-op – the regional, independent co-operative.

Emma said: “We know first hand how baffling funerals can be. There is a lot to think about – floral tributes, coffins, caskets, memorial masonry, pre-paid funeral plans and lots more.

“Our open event will be a time to celebrate our opening and a chance to support some of our valuable local causes. But it will also give people the opportunity to ask questions in a relaxed environment.

“People will be able to find out about all things funeral-related whilst enjoying some drinks and nibbles.”

Guests will also be able to find out how the branch can support the local community through Southern Co-op’s community engagement programme. The ‘Love Your Neighbourhood’ initiative addresses four key social themes for promoting ‘Greener’, ‘Healthier’, ‘Safer’, and ‘More Inclusive’ neighbourhoods.

For more information, contact The Co-operative Funeralcare in Alton on 01420 85298.