By Laura Symes, Marketing Assistant

I’ve been at the Co-op now for just over two years and, by far one of the most rewarding parts of my job is supporting local charities.

Here at the Co-op, our core vision is to make a real difference to the communities we serve. For my colleagues and I, this is what we do when we support the charities and organisations who in turn make such a positive difference to our community.

The most popular form of fundraising is through in-store fundraising events.

This can be any activity from a bag pack event, a collection day or even having a team of volunteers in store speaking to our customers raising awareness about the work they do.

Here are a few ideas for in-store charity events:

Bag packs

Bag packs are a brilliant and HUGELY popular form of fundraising in our stores. Not only are you providing a service, you're doing it for a worthwhile cause too.

So that every charity gets a chance to do a bag pack, we allow charities to one bag pack event per year. But they can also hold up to four non-bag pack events too!

This also gives charities and fundraisers a chance to explore different in-store ideas…

…like in-store cycling events!

No, not literally a cycle ride through our aisles, but we have had treadmills and static exercise bikes in store to raise money before.

If you’re thinking of getting active in our stores for a good cause, just drop in to one of our Grand Marchés and have a little chat with our managers. They'll be able to confirm if they can accommodate your event in their store.

Flag days

A Flag day is a great alternative to a Collection Day or Bag Pack event.

With a ‘Flag Day’, your charity/organisation can be positioned instore throughout the day promoting your charity and selling tickets or small items (such as flags) for a donation.

Charity collections

It really is amazing how a little bit of spare change from customers in our stores can make such a valuable difference to our local charities. Or, a few dividend stamps into a box can become a cheque of a couple of hundred pounds to a worthy cause.

Our Co-op charity schemes really show the difference a small donation can make, and help to give back to our communities.

Plus, it doesn’t just have to be collection tins – you could also be a part of our ‘Donate your Dividend’ scheme in Jersey and Guernsey or ‘Donated Goods Basket’ scheme (currently available in Jersey only).

Static displays

If you’re unable to be in-person in our stores, why not create an eye-catching display featuring your charity or cause?  With so many people passing through our stores on a daily basis, it’s a simple and creative way of shouting out about your charity’s message.

Do you support a local charity or organisation?

Why not think about holding an in-store event at your local Grand Marché and help raise awareness – and vital funds – for your worthy cause!

Find out more about in-store charity events and apply online here!