Brave shopworker Alison looks to overcome fear of heights to raise vital funds for dementia charity
Posted by james brindle | Published: 15/07/2021
A courageous Central England Co-op colleague is set to face her fears head-on with a charity challenge to raise vital funds.
Alison Green, who works as a Team Leader at Central England Co-op’s Anson Road Food Store, in Shepshed, will be taking on the fastest zipline in the world later this month in support of the retailer’s charity partner Dementia UK.
Alison, who has worked for Central England Co-op for 27 years, is embarking on the challenge travelling over a mile on the zipline over Penryn Quarry in North Wales despite admitting to having a fear of heights.
The 46-year-old explained why she was so determined to do the challenge despite her fears and how she is feeling ahead of the big day.
She said: “I wanted to do the challenge for Dementia UK, not just because it is Central England Co-op’s charity partner, but also knowing people within my family and friends that have been affected by the condition.
“Also, we have several customers that shop at the store who are dealing with dementia, so it is a cause that I’m passionate about and wanted to find a way to support.
“I wanted to find something to do for them that would challenge me mentally and having a fear of heights the zipline is really going to test me.
“It is a mile travelling across the quarry where you fly through the air lying face forwards reaching speeds of up to 100mph. It is going to be terrifying, but I hope also exhilarating and what better way to help me overcome my fear!”
Alison will complete the challenge on July 23 and is aiming to raise £1,000 for the cause and has set up a fundraising page for people to support her.
She said: “I have set a £1,000 target but I would love to raise even more if possible as it really is such a great charity and I know that every penny counts for charities like Dementia UK in these uncertain times.”
Anyone who would like to find out more about the challenge and donate to the cause can visit Alison’s Just Giving page at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Alison-Green52
Central England Co-op has been in partnership with Dementia UK for the last three and a half years and to date has donated over £1.5 million to support their vital work for families affected by dementia.
Notes to editors
About Central England Co-operative
Central England Co-operative is one of the largest independent retail co-operative societies in the UK with interests in food, funeral, floral and property investment.
Owned by hundreds of thousands of members, its over 7,800 colleagues serve customers across 400 plus trading sites in 16 counties in the East and West Midlands, Yorkshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire.
Its purpose is to inspire communities to create a sustainable Society for all.
It actively campaigns for the Government to increase sentencing for violent attacks on retail workers and works with FareShare Midlands and hundreds of food banks, generating enough food donations to create over 2.1 million meals for people in need.
The Society embraces inclusivity and equality and is a signed-up member to the Business in the Community (BITC) Race at Work Charter, while it is also fully committed to addressing the impact of climate change and is on track to be Carbon Neutral by 2030.
It invests a percentage of its trading profit into local communities through its Community Dividend Fund scheme which has seen over £175,000 shared out between 116 good causes over the past 12 months.
Central England Co-op was named Leading Co-op of the Year by Co-operatives UK in 2021.
Press office contacts: Rob Smyth and James Brindle
Phone - 01543 421390
Email - publicrelations@centralengland.coop