Supporting our colleagues

The Co-operative has a number of different schemes in place to support and encourage our colleagues within their community and with fundraising initiatives. Through these schemes, thousands of our colleagues get involved at grass roots level, raising many thousands of pounds for a wide range of charities every single year.

Volunteer Programme

Our volunteering programme supports and encourages our employees' enthusiasm for community and charitable initiatives. Through The Co-operative Volunteer Programme, employees can take part in community volunteering in work time - providing benefits to the volunteers themselves and to the local community. Employees can volunteer for either individual opportunities, such as mentoring, or team challenges, such as creating a reading garden in a local primary school.

Charity of the year

Every two years, Co-operative staff and members vote to decide on our Charity of the Year. This year our chosen charity is RNID and our colleagues are getting involved at all stages - from voting on which projects to focus on, to running fundraising events. Our target this year is to raise £2 million, which will fund over 20 new Hear to Help projects. These provide community support to people who are deaf or hard of hearing.

The Co-operative Booster Fund

Colleagues choosing to support other charities can apply to The Co-operative Booster Fund. This supplements our colleagues' fundraising activities. We can 'boost' their fundraising efforts by £100 for an individual and £400 for a team (subject to terms and conditions).