Co-op Thornton Square donates thousands to Macclesfield causes
Macclesfield: Almost £8000 was donated to the trio of local causes. Congratulations everyone!
By Alex Greensmith
Posted: Monday, 07th November 2022 3:33 pm
Three good causes in Macclesfield have received massive payouts after being nominated for the Co-op's Local Community Fund support for the past 12 months.
Thornton Square Co-op in Macclesfield presented the trio of community-driven causes with thousands of pounds each.
They money was raised by members of the Co-op, who can choose where money in their community goes to.
Representatives of the following local causes were there to receive the donations:
- Macclesfield FC Community Sports Trust received £2713.56
- Cavalry Church Feeding received £2665.93
- The Friends of Macclesfield Academy received £2548.13
Co-op Ivymeade Manager David Dundas was also in attendance, as Co-op members who shopped at his store helped raise money as well.
The funds raised for the trio of causes totalled a whopping £7927.62.
Lee Folkard, Head Of Macclesfield FC Community Sports Trust, described the £2713.56 donation received as "amazing".
"As the official charity of the football club, we can push the Co-op money to a lot of different programmes we have going on," he said.
"We help the community across Cheshire East and Macclesfield. We work from half nine in the morning to half seven at night.
"We visit over 7000 people a week, in primary schools, care homes, supported homes and networks.
"When I took on this role 15 months ago, it was to make sure we did more in the local community, and with these funds we'll be able to take that to the next level.
"It is especially sweet as this is our 25th year as a community trust. A big thank you to everyone who has scanned their Co-op card and selected the money they have raised to go to us."
Cavalry Church Feeding is the food parcel branch of Merebrook Road church Cavalry Church, located on the Weston and just down the road from Ivymeade Co-op.
Their pastor Gary Holdcroft, who has been with the place of worship for a decade, how the donation will be used.
"We're very grateful and very relieved, as our food stocks for the community have been running low," said Gary.
"We work with Cheshire Streetwise and local food banks, and also have our own feeding initiative called #FeedThe5000.
"It was started in lockdown, when we served freshly-made ready-to-microwave meals in boxes.
"Since then, there has been a great need still. We actually invite people to our kitchen and show them what to do with the ingredients. They can then take the meal back home and embrace the skills they have learned and the food they have been given.
"We've certainly seen an increase of people who use our food service in recent times.
"At the beginning of COVID we had 15 people a week coming in for food parcels.
"We are up to 30 now, and that is increasing more and more.
"There is a great need out there for extra help. And it is people from all walks of life as well. We have got a nurse who is coming to us as she is struggling with the rising cost of living.
"Thank you to the Co-op and their members for these vital funds."
The Friends of Macclesfield Academy is a group of parents, pupils and teachers who represent the Park Lane place of education.
"Thanks a million to the Co-op and their members for this amazing donation," she said.
"I have only been at the Academy for a year and a bit, but in that time I have really got to know the library and the children that use it in particular.
"We have a strategy in place to encourage reading for pleasure, selecting books of their own choice.
But for that you need funding. Buying new books by modern authors can become quite expensive. We are trying to update and go off the kids' feedback.
"To receive this much is absolutely incredible, and it will really go a long way. The huge array of books will help us improve our standards of literacy."
The presentation ceremony was also attended by Co-op Thornton Square Team Member Amy Mallon, and Co-op Macclesfield Member Pioneer Louise Little.
Every year, Macclesfield Co-op stores select three good causes from a list of nominations by local people, which will benefit from goods sold there.
When Co-op Members buy selected Co-op branded products and services, such as Co-op eggs, 2p for every pound spent goes into their Co-op Membership account and Co-op gives the same to support community organisations and local causes.
Similar ceremonies earlier in the week took place at Bollington and West Park Co-op food store.
With many community causes experiencing funding challenges and a surge in demand, Co-op funds are supporting projects which deliver vital services in their communities.
A statement from th Co-op says: "The more our members shop, the more funds we can raise.
"Thanks to our members we have been able to work together to deliver our community missions of access to food, mental wellbeing support and opportunities for young people, including:
- Over 30,000 Local Community Fund causes supported
- Funding over 280 fridges with Hubbub, we'll build the network to 350 by end of 2022
- Expanding the Your Local Pantry network to 225 within the next 3 years, providing more communities with sustainable solutions to access food
- Signposting 900,000 people to helpful mental wellbeing information and services with Mind, SAMH (Scottish Association for Mental Health) and Inspire
- Helping 6,000 young people make communities safer and fairer places to live through our Peer Action Collective
"You can read more about how we're supporting communities here."
Become a member of the Co-op today online at this webpage or in-store.
To find out more about the Local Community Fund or Co-op Membership click on the red links.
See Also: Bollington Co-op donates almost £10,000 to local causes
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