Fourteen organisations tackling homelessness benefited from £290,000 from Lincolnshire Co-op as part its Community Champions fundraising campaign.
The society raised £147,543 through donations every time a member shopped using their dividend card, the carrier bag charge and staff fundraising.
This was topped up with £143,000 worth of food and groceries, while collection points at the society’s pharmacies helped to raise 97 boxes of toiletries from shoppers.
Community engagement manager Sam Turner said: “We have been blown away by the generosity of our members, customers and colleagues. Together, we have been able to offer these groups a huge amount of support – both financial and practical.
“The 14 groups which have benefited are doing incredible work in our area with some of the most vulnerable people in our communities. We’re so pleased that together we’ve been able to contribute.”
One of the charities benefitting from funding from Lincolnshire Co-operative is P3 – People potential Possibilities, which helps rough sleepers throughout Lincolnshire and supports people in accommodation who face potential housing issues. The charity will receive £42,998 from the co-op.
Operations manager Jonny Goldsmith said: “We’re living and working in challenging times where the needs of our clients and the demands placed upon our services are greater than ever. Whilst we don’t rely on donations to fund the work that we do, we are truly grateful to Lincolnshire Co-op and its members for this incredible act of generosity. It will enable us to increase our current service provision.
“We just can’t express enough thanks to Lincolnshire Co-op for its support in raising awareness of many of the issues faced by our clients and the support services that we provide.
“We cover such a vast area that we rely upon the public to tell us if they see someone rough sleeping – our freephone number is 0808 281 0280 and we’d encourage everyone to call it if they see someone who needs our help.”
