Thousands of pounds raised for local community causes More than £14,500 has been raised by coMore than £5,800 was raised at 13 stores for operative colleagues and customers in Bristol Julian Trust - a Night Shelter for homeless and Somerset. people and rough sleepers in Bristol. Thousands of pounds will be shared between 10 separate charities and good causes which were the 2021 local partners of The Cooperative Food stores in Bristol and Somerset. The money was raised through collection pots and fundraising activities at the Southern Co-op stores and will be rounded up to make sure each charity receives at least £1,000. Holly Bramble, Community Lead at the regional, independent co-operative, said: "Each of these local causes makes a difference in their local community. It is incredibly important to us, our colleagues and our members to make sure we support them in their efforts - whether that is a local school working to be more sustainable, or a charity which cares for people in need. "So we'd like to thank every shopper who put their pennies in the collection pots and every colleague who organised a fundraising activity. It's been a tough few years but it is wonderful to see people continuing to support each other where they can." 30
Joanne Brown, Trustee at Julian Trust, said: "We are absolutely thrilled and humbled to be chosen by Southern Co-op for your fundraising. The Julian Trust is wholly staffed and managed by volunteers and relies entirely on voluntary donations of food and money in order to feed and accommodate homeless people and rough sleepers in Bristol so this money will go directly towards our mission - to offer 'a hot meal, a bed for the night and a warm welcome' to those in need. "We are planning to carry out a well-overdue replacement of our floor in the night shelter this summer so your fantastic fundraising will be utilised towards that. This will ensure that the work of the volunteers can continue and the maintenance of the building will be safe for the future. We couldn't do any of this without your valuable support." A further £600 was raised in May this year for the Ukraine DEC Appeal as a number of store colleagues took part in a hike up Pen Y Fan.
