THE HEART OF ENGLAND CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY HANDS £3,000 TO COVENTRY RESOURCE CENTRE FOR THE BLIND

(Top Image) Hugh Sorrill, General Manager of Coventry Resource Centre for the Blind; Patricia Griffiths, Trustee Manager of the resource centre; Janet Arnold, Deputy Manager of The Co-operative Food at Earlsdon; Rosie Brady, Trustee Manager of the resource centre; Jo Dyke, Community and Membership Adviser of the Heart of England Co-operative Society and Clive Miles, Society President.

Patricia Griffiths, Trustee Manager of Coventry Resource Centre for the Blind; Clive Miles, President of the Heart of England Co-operative Society; Rosie Brady, Trustee Manager of Coventry Resource Centre for the Blind; Janet Arnold, Deputy Manager of The Co-operative Food at Earlsdon and Jo Dyke, Community and Membership Adviser at the Heart of England Co-operative Society.

Monday, November 12, 2018

The Heart of England Co-operative Society has handed £3,000 to Coventry Resource Centre for the Blind.

The money will be added to the centre’s general funds which are used towards enabling blind and partially sighted people in Coventry to lead full, independent lives.

The centre was one of 15 charities across the Society’s trading area of Coventry, Warwickshire, south Leicestershire and Northamptonshire to receive a share of £30,000.

With the most votes among Coventry shoppers the Resource Centre received £3,000 while the Enterprise Club for the Disabled, which gained the second highest number of votes, received £2,000, and Coventry and District Samaritans, with the third highest number of votes, was awarded £1,000.

Rosie Brady, Trustee and co-founder of Coventry Resource Centre for the Blind, said: “We have so much going on here, we’ve really expanded on our activities over time and offer a packed programme throughout the week.

“Every week there is an allotment group, braille classes, computer sessions, a friendship group, a devices workshop looking at iPads and the like, music, cookery, crafts, creative writing, a lunch club, tai chi and various outings – so every penny we receive from organisations such as the Heart of England Co-operative Society is a welcome bonus.”

Rosie added: “We are so grateful to the Heart of England Co-operative Society for including us in its carrier bag scheme, and of course to customers who have voted for us over the past six months or so.

“With all the activities we have on offer throughout the week we are literally bursting at the seams. We are expanding into Boston Lodge care home which sits right next door to us and which we have just bought so every penny from the Society is going to help.”

Established in 2010 Coventry Resource Centre for the Blind regularly attracts some 150 visitors per week and the number of visitors is growing.

As well as the social activities the charity offers wide ranging practical help, including a resource room with various daily living aids and devices to help people with sight problems live independently.

The donation from the Heart of England Co-operative Society has been made in line with a government levy introduced in 2015 to reduce the use of carrier bags which are harmful to the environment. As part of the levy, every penny raised through the sales of 5p carrier bags goes to charity.

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