Our scheme offers islanders with hidden disabilities the option to wear a Sunflower lanyard or pin badge while shopping at our stores.

The lanyard/pin badge helps Co-op colleagues to recognise, reassure and respond to members and customers with unseen disabilities, who may need additional support while shopping.

As a community retailer we are passionate about supporting our local communities. We worked with Guernsey Disability Alliance and Enable Jersey to launch this initiative in Grand Marché stores in June 2018. After an initial trial period, the scheme is now a permanent service across all of our stores in Jersey and Guernsey.

How can islanders get a Sunflower Lanyard?

The sunflower lanyards/badges are offered on a voluntary basis. Customers with hidden disabilities who wish to take part are invited to collect a lanyard or pin badge from their local Grand Marché customer service desk.

What help will islanders receive?

We have run training sessions for colleagues to support and improve the shopping experience for people with hidden disabilities. Our staff have learned about the challenges customers with these varied disabilities can encounter, such as:

• Needing more time to process information or prepare themselves
• Difficulty in following verbal instructions
• Difficulty in using technology
• Feeling overwhelmed in an unfamiliar environment
• Not being able to interpret body language or facial expressions

The scheme is part of our disability and inclusion strategy. The strategy aims to change attitudes and improve the quality of life for disabled islanders and their carers, so that they can be active and engaged socially, economically and culturally.

We see this initiative as a perfect fit to our Vision to make a real difference to the communities we serve.

Find out more about what we do together

"I'm here to help" colleague badges

Colleagues who have received hidden disabilities awareness training will be wearing "I'm here to help" sunflower badges. These will allow customers with hidden disabilities who are wearing a sunflower lanyard or pin badge to easily identify and connect with trained colleagues.