Saturday 14 May 2011

Co-op Staff Volunteer to Help at the Rowans



TEAM CHALLENGE IS ‘BLOOMING’ MARVELLOUS

Staff from The Co-operative Financial Services (CFS) dug-deep for the community, when it teamed up with Food4Macc yesterday (Thursday, 12 May) to develop fruit and flower gardens at The Rowans Care Home, Macclesfield.

As part of The Co-operative Volunteer Programme, ten colleagues from the member-owned financial services provider – which has branches of Britannia and The Co-operative Bank in the town – took part in the team challenge to build two new ground level growing-beds for fruit bushes and flowering shrubs.

In addition to preparing the ground for currants, goji berries and honeyberries, members of the team also watered, weeded and pruned existing planted areas at the care home.

Working with local voluntary group, Food4Macc – which aims to encourage more food to be produced locally as part of a move towards a more sustainable community - the new garden areas will now be used by the residents and their families to sit in and, to enjoy picking the fruit and vegetable when it is ready to eat.

Iris Myerscough, of CFS’ Treasury Department helped to lead the project and said: “The day was very hard work but extremely good fun, enjoyable and rewarding. As a community business itself, The Co-operative is committed to giving back to the local communities it serves and, its volunteering programme enables staff to take part in community activities during work time.”

Debbie Townend, secretary at Food4Macc, continued: “

The activity was facilitated by CSV Employee Volunteering. Ann Shackleton, an employee volunteering officer in the North West for CSV, added: “Involvement in local community projects is a great way of employee teambuilding and management training and, leaves a lasting legacy in the local community.”

For more information about Food4Macc, visit www.food4macc.org

CSV (Community Service Volunteers) creates opportunities for people to take an active part in the life of their communities through volunteering, training and community action, for more information, go to www.csv.org.uk

ends

Notes for editors

Please note, following Britannia’s merger with The Co-operative Financial Services (CFS) in 2009, it became inaccurate to refer to Britannia as a ‘Building Society’. For further help or information, please contact Andrew Torr in The Co-operative Group Press Office on 0161 827 5622.

About Food4Macc:

Food4Macc is a voluntary group that aims to have more food produced locally in the Macclesfield area as part of a planned transition from today's oil dependency, to a low-carbon sustainable community. Its main areas of activity are: Talks and Demonstrations every month with its Gardening Club. Sharing experience, swapping seeds, plants and produce. Six Community gardens where you can grow fruit and vegetables, and learn from more experienced gardeners. A Garden Share scheme that matches gardeners with disused vegetable plots. Helping local farmers market their produce in the local community with food maps and, encouraging others to plan ahead for life when oil prices and food are more expensive than today.

About CSV:

CSV (Community Service Volunteers) creates opportunities for people to take an active part in the life of their communities through volunteering, training and community action. Every year, CSV involves over 150,000 volunteers in high quality opportunities that enrich lives and tackle real need. Between them, they help transform the lives of over 1 million people across the UK. CSV trains over 12,000 young people and adults each year. www.csv.org.uk

For Further information contact:

Andrew Torr

The Co-operative Group Press Office

Email: Andrew.torr@co-operative.coop

Telephone: 0161 827 5622

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