HEART OF ENGLAND CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY’S HELPING HEARTS DONATES £5,000 TO ALZHEIMER’S SOCIETY

The Heart of England Co-operative Society’s caring Helping Hearts scheme has donated £5,000 to the Coventry branch of the Alzheimer’s Society, the charity which researches the condition and cares for people with dementia and their families and carers.

Alzheimer’s was one of six charities and causes chosen by Society members in a recent survey to receive a share of £10,000.

As the cause with the most votes the Alzheimer’s Society has picked up half of the cash. The remaining share was equally distributed between the five next most popular charities – the Breast Cancer Unit at the George Eliot Hospital in Nuneaton, Motor Neurone Disease, RNIB, Diabetes UK and MIND.

Debbie McIlhone, Operational Manager of the Alzheimer’s Society, in Barras Green, Coventry, said: “We are very grateful to the Heart of England Co-operative Society and its members - £5,000 is a large sum of money and will go a long way here.

“We will use the cash to fund resources and information for people who use our centre, plus their family or carers or anyone else with an interest in Alzheimer’s. And we will also invest in a range of devices which will allow people who use our centre to try them out at home. The devices will all help people retain their independence at home.”

The charity survey was conducted through the 2009 Members’ Calendar amongst the 70,000 registered members of the Heart of England Society throughout Coventry, Warwickshire and south Leicestershire, who were then invited to vote for six charities to receive a slice of the cash.

The Society pledged the cash from its Helping Hearts Awards scheme, which uses the profits of tobacco sales to distribute among charities, worthy causes and community projects.

The Calendar also contained vouchers worth hundreds of pounds of savings in the Society’s Food, Non-Food and Travel stores, including 10 per cent off one food shopping visit above £5 each month, alongside attractive local scenes.

Membership of the Society is open to anyone aged 16 or above living in the Society’s trading area, with application forms available from all of the Society’s Food and Non-Food stores across the region.

Ali Kurji, Chief Executive, Heart of England Co-operative Society commented:  “We are delighted to be able to support the Alzheimer’s Society in this way.  The support this charity gives to families is vital and its ongoing research programmes invaluable in working towards finding a cure for this dreadful disease.”

Since its launch in 2000 the Helping Hearts scheme has pledged £486,000 to charities and worthwhile causes throughout the Society’s trading region.

Right: Ali Kurji Chief Executive, Heart of England Co-operative, Jo Dyke, Community & Membership Adviser, Heart of England Co-operative, Janice Connolly, Manager, Alzheimers Society, Michael Sherwood, President Heart of England Co-operative.