Halesworth’s Central Co-op Store Receives £1.7 million regeneration
Posted by sam bishop | Published: 04/07/2023
Central Co-op is pleased to announce that its store on Saxons Way in Halesworth has completed its regeneration after an investment of £1.7 million, regenerating the store, community space, and coffee shop to bring an even better offering to customers and Members.
On the day several members of the community joined together with Central Co-op colleagues to open the regenerated store, including local schoolchildren, representatives of the local branch of learning disability charity Mencap, Halesworth Town FC, Halesworth Library, and many more.
The investment considered feedback from the local community as to what they wanted to see in the store, and as a result the Halesworth community store now includes an improved layout to make it easier to shop, along with revamped toilets, car parking, and outdoor customer seating. Solar panels are also installed on the store already, as part of Central Co-op's purpose of creating a sustainable Society for all.
An Insomnia Coffee Shop has been added as well, expanding on the previous café and serving Fairtrade coffee, snacks, and cakes. The Café in the Co-op, which was run for many years by the much-loved Maureen Took, will continue its legacy as Maureen and her team continue to work at the new Central Co-op store.
Maureen said. “I’ve been very fortunate to have been at the heart of the Halesworth community for many years. From back when I ran Edwards to my time with Central Co-op, I’ve enjoyed getting to know my customers. I’m excited to start a brand-new chapter with Insomnia where we’ll continue to feed regulars and meet new people too. I’m also delighted that we’re moving forward with our existing team who have established such a great relationship with our community.”
The Insomnia Coffee Shop will continue to offer refreshments and food to the local community with Maureen’s expertise at the helm, and Insomnia fits in with Central Co-op's ethos as it has been serving Fairtrade coffee since 2006.
The community space, which has been expanded with this regeneration, is available for use by the local community and can be easily booked via the Insomnia Coffee Shop. Central Co-op is dedicated to serving the communities around the stores, which is why it was important to make the space welcoming for community groups that wish to come in and use it, and it is even being named in Maureen’s honour.
Central Co-op will continue to listen to feedback on the Halesworth store and invites customers and Members to help shape the future of Central Co-op in Halesworth.
For further details, head to the Central Co-op website, Facebook, and Twitter. Details on becoming a Member can be found on the Membership site.
About Central Co-op
Central Co-op is one of the largest independent retail co-operative societies in the UK, with a heritage stretching back over 175 years and interests in food, funeral, floral and property investment.
Owned by hundreds of thousands of members, its 7,700 colleagues serve customers across 440 plus trading sites in 21 counties in the East and West Midlands, Yorkshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire.
Its purpose is to create a sustainable Society for all.
It actively campaigns for food justice and works with FareShare Midlands and a network of local food banks. It also adds £1 to every Healthy Start Voucher redeemed in store and supports six schools in partnership with Magic Breakfasts.
The Society embraces inclusivity and equality and is a signed-up member to the Business in the Community (BITC) Race at Work Charter. The Society is also a member of Diversity in Retail and it is fully committed to addressing the impacts of climate change by reducing carbon and food waste, increasing recycling and investment in community Sustainable Spaces funded by the carrier bag levy. It recently launched its Malawi Partnership to support farmers and producers in the country through the Co-operative International Trading Development Fund.
It invests a percentage of its trading profit into local communities through its Community Dividend Fund scheme which has seen over £109,769.25 shared out between 121 good causes in 2022.
Press office contact: Sam Bishop, PR Specialist
Contact details:
sam.bishop@centralengland.coop
07385 048048