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Co-op customers donate £10,000 to health charity


By Kirsty Brown

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Five north-east Co-op stores teamed up to donate over £10,000 to Grampian Cardiac Rehabilitation Association (GCRA+).

Customers shopping in the Turriff, Aberchirder, Aboyne, Banff and Newmachar Co-op stores raised an incredible £10,401.39 for the charity, which has helped over 2000 people in Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen city through rehabilitation exercise classes since 2002.

Turriff's member pioneer Claire McClure and store manager Heather McNeil presented the final cheque to GCRA+ representative Robert Paton.

While initially founded to support cardiac patients, the charity has expanded to help with rehabilitation and prevention from a variety of long term illnesses including heart conditions, depression, osteoporosis and diabetes.

GCRA+ was chosen as a Co-op Local Community Fund local cause at the Aberchirder, Aboyne, Banff, Newmachar and Turriff Co-op stores in October 2019, meaning that the charity received one percent of members’ spending on Co-op products and services for a 12-month period.

GCRA+’s Development Coordinator, Susan Will, said: “This year has been the most difficult year the charity and our members with cardiac and long-term health conditions have faced due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"As a result, the charity had to suspend its 37 weekly community-based exercise classes throughout Grampian and has worked hard to overcome the detrimental financial impact of the pandemic.

“The support from the Co-op Local Community Fund has been overwhelming and everyone at GCRA+ would like to thank the Co-op staff and members who have raised a phenomenal amount of money, which will really help our charity to re-establish its community-based services in 2021”.

Turriff Co-op Member Pioneer Claire McClure said: “Since launching the Local Community Fund four years ago, Co-op has shared more than £70 million with over 41,000 local causes.

"This year, over 4,500 local causes supporting mental and physical wellbeing, promoting education and employment and access to food received their share of £15 million, thanks to Co-op members choosing Co-op”.

GCRA+ has been chosen again this year as a Co-op Local Community Fund local cause, meaning that any Co-op members throughout Grampian who would like to support the charity can nominate Grampian Cardiac Rehabilitation Association to receive one percent of their spending on Co-op products and services by using the following link: https://membership.coop.co.uk/causes/52425.

For more information on GCRA+ you can visit: www.gcra.org.uk.

Turriff Co-op's Claire McClure, Heather McNeil and GCRA's Robert Paton.
Turriff Co-op's Claire McClure, Heather McNeil and GCRA's Robert Paton.

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