Colleagues, customers and members of Scotmid Co-operative have raised £300,000 for the society’s charity partner Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland (CHSS).
The one-year partnership, which was extended due to the Covid-19 pandemic, raised funds for services provided by Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland, Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke (NICHS) and England’s Different Strokes.
Thanks to Scotmid’s support, Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland can provide six months of support for 1,000 stroke survivors.
Staff from Scotmid, Semichem, Scotmid Funerals and Lakes & Dales stores took part in events like the Forth Bridge Abseil, an eight-hour relay challenge and Munro bagging. Activities during the pandemic crisis included head-shaves and virtual marathons.
Beyond fundraising, Scotmid and CHSS also joined forces to support vulnerable people throughout lockdown, with Scotmid staff across Scotland working together with the charity’s Kindness Volunteers to deliver shopping.
Jane-Claire Judson, CEO at CHSS, said: “I want to say a massive thank-you to everyone at Scotmid for the amazing charity partnership we have shared.
“Your support, your effort, your commitment and your passion has been above and beyond. You have kept us going through what has been one of the hardest years any of us have ever experienced.
“You have shown your communities kindness, you have shaved your heads, run marathons, even virtual marathons as well as taking part in fancy dress days and bake sales. The amount of energy that everyone at Scotmid have put into the partnership has been really inspiring to me.
“Our services support people after a stroke to regain their confidence, achieve their personal goals and get back to doing the things they love.”
John Brodie, Scotmid CEO, said: “In September 2019, we set ourselves the ambitious target of raising £300,000 to fund vital stroke rehabilitation support services.
“In what has undoubtedly been the most challenging year we have seen in retail and fundraising, I am so proud of what we have achieved. Not only raising a phenomenal £300,000, but also increasing awareness of symptoms and support services within our communities.
“One in five people in the communities we serve will be affected by chest, heart or stroke conditions. Raising these funds and awareness enforces our core purpose “to serve our communities and to improve people’s everyday lives.”
