Scotmid Co-operative has raised £315,000 for Samaritans, which will help fund 63,000 calls for the suicide prevention charity.
Since the launch of the partnership in August 2017, the society’s employees, members and customers have been involved in a number of fundraising initiatives, including an indoor cycleathon with Mark Beaumont, a yoga event with Adam Husler, quizzes and a sponsored zip slide.
Stores across Scotland also took part in Samaritan’s ‘Brew Monday’ and sold copies of the Radio Forth One ‘Kid in the Kitchen’ joke books and a limited edition pack of Grahams Cupcakes.
Samaritans runs 19 branches in Scotland and responds to over five million calls for help each year. Over 2,000 volunteers trained by the charity offer a safe space for people in Scotland, Ireland and northern England to access support 24-hours a day.
Scotmid president Harry Cairney said: “We’re delighted to have achieved such a phenomenal final fundraising total for Samaritans; £315,000 is a fantastic sum of money and will go towards making a significant difference to the charity.
“As a co-operative, our core purpose is to serve our local communities and improve people’s everyday lives, which is why our year-long partnership with Samaritans has been so relevant.”
He added: “Sadly, suicide claims the lives of 6,000 people in the UK every year – extraordinary problems affecting ordinary people in everyday situations, which underlines the importance of the service that Samaritans provides.
“Talking to a helpline like Samaritans can help to save the life of someone who is struggling to cope. So to learn that the final total will go towards funding 63,000 calls is incredibly good news. We’re proud that Scotmid have helped Samaritans to be there when it matters.
“During the partnership with Samaritans, we have been educating colleagues and customers about the vital work that the charity does and have been overwhelmed by the support in reaching our fundraising goal. As well as raising money, we hope that the partnership has played a part in easing the stigma surrounding mental health.”
James Jopling, executive director at Samaritans Scotland, said: “Everyone at Samaritans is delighted that Scotmid has raised a wonderful £315,000 across our year-long partnership.
“Someone contacts Samaritans every six seconds and we know that each call has the capacity to change, or even save someone’s life. So we can’t thank Scotmid enough for helping us to be there when it matters for those who need us.
“We can all play our part in being there for those in our communities who may be struggling. And through the last year we are delighted that Scotmid staff, customers and members have learned more about the power of listening and reaching out.”
