Heart of England Co-operative customers help swell the coffers of Age UK Warwickshire
Published on 25 June 2018 02:12 PM
Customers at the Heart of England Co-operative Society in south Warwickshire have helped swell the coffers of Age UK Warwickshire by £4,000.
The charity was one of 15 across the Society’s trading area to receive a share of £40,000, raised through the sale of 5p carrier bags at The Co-operative food stores over the past six months.
The money will be used towards Age UK’s information and advice service, befriending service, psychological support service and Musical Memories Cafés, which use music in a social environment to support people with memory problems and their families and carers.
Between all four services, Age UK has helped more than 10,000 people aged 50 or over in the past year alone.
Jan Dugdale, Acting CEO of Age UK Warwickshire, said: “A heartfelt thank you to all those who voted for AGE UK Warwickshire.
“The money will make a real difference in supporting and improving the lives of older people in maintaining their independence and wellbeing across the county.
“We hope that the team from the Heart of England Co-operative Society who attended the Musical Memories Café learned just a little of the work we do and the impact we make within the county.”
With the second highest number of votes in south Warwickshire, the Warwickshire Association of Youth Clubs received £2,500, while Mind Coventry and Warwickshire’s Leamington Wellbeing Hub received £1,500.
The Society is among thousands of retailers operating a government levy to reduce damage to the environment.
Government statistics show that in 2014 customers used more than 7.6 billion single-use bags, equating to 61,000 tonnes or 140 bags for every person in Britain.
Research on behalf of the government showed that the average household contained some 40 plastic bags around the home, while the number of carrier bags taken from supermarkets continued to increase year on year in the five years to 2014.
As well as the environmental benefits the government believes the levy will benefit the economy by up to £780 million by 2025, with up to £730 million raised in aid of good causes, £60 million of savings in clean-up costs and carbon savings of £113 million.