Spread Kindness with BillyChip®, Now in All Central Co-op Stores
Posted by sam bishop | Published: 18/04/2023
Central Co-op is pleased to welcome BillyChip® into all 250+ Central Co-op food stores, allowing customers to spread kindness to those in need with a simple gift.
Making a difference is easy with a BillyChip, as the chips - which are made from a biodegradable ceramic polymer - cost £2 and can be given to someone sleeping rough as a way to support them. This £2 goes straight to BillyChip who, through their foundation, help support other relevant local charities in the Society’s trading area.
The simple act of giving a chip allows someone to redeem the chip for a hot or cold drink of their choice at any Central Co-op store. Two chips can be redeemed for a meal deal in-store as well, including a snack, main, and a drink.
Meg Abernethy-Hope, Co-Founder of BillyChip, said: “The BillyChip is about giving someone who is sleeping rough compassion, connection, and choice. We are so proud to be partnering with Central Co-op, a business we know is built around supporting its community. This is an incredible partnership and we are beyond excited to see where it will take us in the future.”
Central Co-op celebrated the launch at the Boley Park store in Lichfield, joined by Claudia Walker, footballer for Birmingham City. Co-founder Meg Abernethy-Hope also attended the launch to talk about the scheme to customers at Boley Park.
Central Co-op has a history of supporting causes that assist those sleeping rough, including The Bridge in Leicester, which received funding from the Community Dividend Fund last year to support their efforts to support homeless people in the city in a variety of ways.
The Bridge’s Head of Programmes & Services Anna Maudsley said: “The launch of the BillyChip initiative shows Central Co-op again looking for innovative ways to support homeless people in a dignified way, ensuring a basic need can be met throughout their stores across the country. One chip means a person can get a drink and two chips means a person can get a meal deal, which may be the only meal they have that day, and if people are unsure of who to give these chips to, our Outreach Team at The Bridge East Midlands can ensure they go directly to the people that need them. Thank you again for your support and for caring about our homeless community.”
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