Celebrating our new charity partnership!
Date Published: 10/10/2024 | Blog category: Communitynews
Today is World Mental Health Day, a time to come together and raise awareness for mental wellbeing. We're marking the occasion by celebrating the launch of our new charity partnership with Samaritans. Their volunteers are on hand, day or night, for anyone who needs someone to listen without judgement or pressure.
Back in March, we began our search for a new charity partner. Committed to creating a sustainable Society for all, we invited national and regional registered charities to participate in a transparent, democratic process to nominate themselves for this unique opportunity. Guided by the voices of our Members, we focused our search on organisations dedicated to mental health support.
After an extensive search involving hundreds of applicants and almost 17,000 Member votes, Samaritans were chosen to be the Society’s new charity partner.
Every 10 seconds, a Samaritans volunteer answers a call for help. Last year alone, Samaritans spent over 900,000 hours responding to calls, demonstrating the immense dedication and impact of their work. With over 200 branches and locations across the UK and Ireland, Samaritans relies on the public’s donations and the support of around 23,000 volunteers to continue their vital services.
Hannah Gallimore, our Social Change Manager, comments: “We are incredibly excited to announce Samaritans as our new charity partner. Our Members made it clear that mental health support is a priority, and we listened. We recognise the critical importance of Samaritans’ life-saving support, particularly in today’s challenging times. With branches right across the UK, we’re keen on supporting Samaritans on both a national and local level within the communities we serve. We can’t wait to get started!”
Sonya Trivedy, Executive Director of External Engagement at Samaritans, adds: “We are thrilled to be chosen by Central Co-op Members as their charity partner. It is thanks to partnerships like these that Samaritans can continue to be there for anyone struggling to cope, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We look forward to achieving great things together.”
Did you know, you can make a big difference when you make a purchase in our shops or petrol stations? Through the micro-donation charity, Pennies, every time you spend £5 or more and pay by card, you can choose to donate 10p to Samaritans!
If you're keen to support with volunteering and fundraising opportunities, you can find their calendar of events here.
