The Co-op Group has raised £6,000 for a local station of National Coastwatch Institute, a charity keeping a visual and listening watch along the UK coastline.
The charity runs 50 stations, manned by over 2,000 volunteers, and its Porthcawl station in South Wales, which opened in 2016, will benefit from the Group funding.
Station manager Phil Styles said: “We were overwhelmed by the generosity and have since been able to invest in a new pair of high-powered binoculars, so we’re able to keep people even safer.
“The new binoculars are being used by our volunteers who are now able to see even further out to sea and along the coastlines, ensuring that we can quickly and accurately locate anyone getting into difficulties.
“Our two local Co-op stores have been really supportive. They have been helping us to raise funds through the 1% and proactively promoting us to the local community. It’s been fantastic to partner with them to help our local community and we’re extremely grateful for everything they’ve done.”
The station was sponsored through the Co-op Group’s Local Community Fund, which enables members to choose a local cause to receive 1% of what they spend on selected own-brand products and services. The fund has so far helped to raise £20m to local causes.
“Currently, in Glamorgan, there is still around £145,000 waiting to be allocated to local causes like ours in the area. If you’re a Co-op member now is the time to choose which local cause you wish to support by logging on to Co-op’s membership website,” added Mr Styles in his post on the Co-op’s blog.
In 2016 NCI provided 246,000 hours of organised coastal surveillance at no cost to the public, watching out for distress flares, overturned boast, yachtsmen or fishermen in trouble, as well as those diving, wind surfing and canoeing.
