Workers have swapped their day jobs for moisturiser and manicure kits to give hospice patients a day of pampering.
The team of eight volunteers from the Midcounties Co-operative spent the day at St Giles Hospice giving manicures, soothing head, shoulder and foot massages and beauty goodie bags, all accompanied by calming music and a selection of cakes and tea.
There was also a beautician to give make-overs as part of the company’s diversity awareness project which sees teams take on challenges in the community.
Jennifer Goold from Midcounties, volunteered at the hospice. She said: “The team really enjoyed spending time getting to know the some of the patients and their families.
“It was important they felt they’d had a special day and the volunteers worked hard to ensure there was the perfect, tranquil atmosphere.
“As a co-operative we believe in giving back to the communities we trade in and we were more than happy to offer our services to the hospice, especially given it’s International Year of Co-operatives which is all about supporting others.”
Julie Hodgetts from St Giles Hospice added: “Everyone had a fantastic day and it was lovely to hear the hospice filled with laughter and music.
“We really appreciate the time Midcounties’ volunteers gave to the hospice, the patients and carers seemed to enjoy getting pampered.”
PIC1: Moira Tunnicliffe, Assistant Funeral Director at the Midcounties Co-operative.
PIC 2: Jennifer Goold, Head of Property Management at the Midcounties Co-operative.
NOTES FOR EDITORS
The Midcounties Co-operative has its headquarters in Warwickshire, with trading outlets in Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Shropshire, West Midlands, Worcestershire and the surrounding counties.
The Society’s trading groups are food retail, funeral, travel, pharmacy, childcare nurseries, employee benefits and energy. The Midcounties Co-operative is the largest independent co-operative society in the UK and has more than 470 branches, and 245,000 active trading members. It has recently been ranked in The Sunday Times Best 100 Companies To Work For list.
The Society’s mission statement is ‘To be a successful consumer co-operative working towards creating a better, fairer world, and to enhance the lives of our colleagues, members, customers, and the communities we serve’.
For more details call Rachael Jones at Seal on 0121 616 5800.
Visit www.midcounties.coop
The United Nations General Assembly has declared 2012 as the International Year of Co-operatives, highlighting the contribution of co-operatives to socio-economic development, particularly their impact on poverty reduction, employment generation and social integration. The Year will highlight the strengths of the co-operative business model as an alternative means of doing business and furthering socio-economic development.
About Women’s Aid
Women’s Aid is the national domestic violence charity that co-ordinates and supports an England-wide network of over 500 local services working to end domestic violence against women and children. Keeping the voices of survivors at the heart of its work, Women’s Aid campaigns for better legal protection and services, providing a strategic “expert view” to government on laws, policy and practice affecting abused women and children. In partnership with its national network, Women’s Aid runs public awareness and education campaigns, bringing together national and local action, and developing new training and resources. Women’s Aid provides a package of vital 24 hour lifeline services through its publications (available in 11 languages including English), websites (www.womensaid.org.uk and www.thehideout.org.uk), and running the Freephone 24 Hour National Domestic Violence Helpline in partnership with Refuge. Women’s Aid is a registered charity no 1054154.