Central England Co-op members make donation to support victims of domestic abuse in Leicestershire

Posted by james brindle | Published: 11/05/2021

Victims of domestic abuse in Leicestershire who may have had to abandon their homes without being able to retrieve vital self-care items are to be supported by a donation from members at Central England Co-op.

The retailer’s Southern Membership and Community Council (MCC) have donated £200 in vouchers to the Domestic Abuse Investigation Unit at Leicestershire Police which will allow the unit to ensure victims it works with to access items such as toiletries and hygiene products they may have had to leave behind when fleeing a violent situation.

The council, made up of Central England Co-op members and colleagues, decided to provide the funding after a representative from the unit spoke about their work and the increasing challenges at a recent event held by the MCC for International Women’s Day.

Karen Bevan, Member and Community Relations Officer for the Southern region at Central England Co-op, said the council was delighted to support such an important cause in these difficult times.

She said: “We were really pleased to welcome Detective Constable Lucy Chafer from the Leicestershire Police Domestic Abuse Investigation Unit to speak at our International Women’s Day event in March and everybody who virtually attended couldn’t help but be impressed by the work they are doing and moved by the heartbreaking position the victims they support can find themselves in.

“Therefore, the MCC was determined to find a way of offering its support for the valuable work the unit does and to help victims in a small but important way so they can receive vital items for their immediate welfare and wellbeing after seeking refuge.”

Detective Inspector Mike Chandler from the Domestic Abuse Investigation Unit at Leicestershire Police thanked Central England Co-op members for the donation.

He said: “We work with a number of partners to provide full support and advice to women who have been victims of domestic abuse and to ensure their welfare and wellbeing. This generous donation will be an incredible help in assisting us with providing vital items for many women at a very vulnerable time of their lives.”

The Southern MCC is made up of Central England Co-op members who are passionate about their community and want to make a difference within it. Each council is given funding and support by the Society to organise activities and events.

People can find out more about the work of the MCC by visiting https://www.members.coop/

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.

Press office contacts: Rob Smyth and James Brindle

Phone - 01543 421390

Email - publicrelations@centralengland.coop