Thanking you & you & you for supporting your community

This November, we’re celebrating the incredible impact Co-op Members have had in communities across the UK, and we’re inviting you to join the celebrations too.  

At Co-op, we’re not owned by a wealthy few, we’re owned by you; our members. Which means you get a say in how we spend a share of our profits in local communities.   

We’re so proud to share that thanks to you for choosing a project to support, we’ve now shared more than £58 million with over 20,500 local causes through the Local Community Fund since 2020.  

Celebrate with us 

To celebrate, we’re inviting you to join us at a local event as we bring colleagues and local groups together to thank members for choosing a cause and supporting their community.  

Come along to meet some of the local causes you’ve been helping through your membership, taste some Co-op products and help us shape your membership and how we reward our Co-op Members in the future. You can find an event near you by clicking here.

More than just funding 

The Local Community Fund supports thousands of grassroots community projects every year, with Co-op Members choosing a local cause to support via the Co-op App.  

However, the benefits to community groups extend beyond funding support, with 95% of causes saying they felt more connected with their community as a result of being in the fund and this has also helped to raise their profile locally.  

It’s thanks to Co-op Members like you for supporting and making a difference in your community that Northumberland-based scout group, 1st Haydon Bridge, can keep providing fun activities for young people to teach them life skills and good citizenship.  

“This really is a great example of a partnership at the heart of our small community. Families shop at the Co-op and this in turn benefits the children of those same families.”  

Cymdeithas Gymunedol Y Bala a Phenllyn, a Community Cafe in Wales, were pleasantly surprised by the increased attention their project received by being involved in the Local Community Fund.  

“This awareness allowed us to double our volunteer numbers. All our volunteers received accredited training in Food Hygiene and two volunteers secured employment using the qualifications gained via our project.”   

South Warwickshire and Worcestershire (formally Springfield) Mind are a local, independent mental health charity who provide person-centred support to individuals and communities struggling with low mental health.   

“We have been able to increase our profile and reach new audiences – including developing partnerships with other community organisations which will offer a continuing legacy to our project. All of this has allowed us to raise awareness of mental health within our communities and the support available to people.”  

Choose a cause and help your community win with you 

Every month, £500 is up for grabs for you and £5,000 for your chosen local cause through our ‘The Winners Share It All’ prize draw.  

To be in with a chance of winning this prize for yourself and your community, you need to choose a Local Community Fund cause to support.  

In October, we launched a new round of Local Community Fund causes, so there’s lots of great new projects for you to choose from.   

Choose your cause on our website or by downloading the Co-op app then head to your local Co-op (or shop online) and spend £5 to be entered into our monthly ‘winners share it all’ prize draw.