Anthony Furnell, head of retail operations at the Neil Patel Group, which operates six Nisa stores across the north west of England, is this month celebrating the news his stores have raised over £41k in total in just four years, via Nisa’s charity - Making a Difference Locally (MADL).
Anthony said the funds raised have come from a variety of types of shoppers, driven by the stores’ demographics: “Each of our stores serve a different demographic and community, ranging from multi-cultural and transient urban areas, to villages, parish communities and high street locations. It means every community has its own distinct needs and priorities.”
As a result, the charities chosen by the stores all differ, Anthony said: “The charities are all local to the stores and important to the communities they serve.
”They range from food banks, homelessness organisations, youth football teams, the Scouts and Guides, LGBTQ+ organisations, community cafés and groups supporting women and families.”
Shopper choice
Anthony added that in terms of who finds the charities to donate to, that is, again, down to the shoppers. “Many of them have been identified through word of mouth and conversations within our stores and local communities.
“But we also speak with charities we already support, as they often know of other smaller organisations doing valuable work that may not otherwise receive much recognition or funding.
“It’s important to us to make a difference where it really counts - not just the most well-known groups, although we never ceased to be amazed by the work all the charities do, it’s truly humbling stuff.”
Great reactions
The reaction to all the donations the stores have made since 2022 has been great too, Anthony said: “Our customers are very supportive, particularly when they can see that the money is helping people in their own community.
“However, we recognise we need to do more to tell them about the support available and the impact their contributions make.
”We’re looking at how we can improve this through our in-store media screens, stronger communication, liaising with MADL for support and closer relationships with the local media.
“Co-op Wholesale-affiliated retailers can nominate charities and community groups that support young people within ten miles of their stores, with funding of up to £2k available.
“We’ve worked very closely with the MADL team over the years and have a tight working relationship with them, where we see them regularly. In fact, they were over at one of our stores a couple of weeks ago. Their passion is contagious and truly helps keep us motivated.”
Further expansion
Next up for Anthony’s Nisa stores is an expansion of the donation opportunities available to those they work with. “Going forwards, we’re planning on creating more opportunities for colleagues to nominate causes, to take part in fundraising and build closer relationships with the organisations we support.
“They’re keen to get more actively involved, so we’re looking at how and when we can make that happen.
“We want to ensure deserving local organisations know about the opportunity and are encouraged to apply, particularly as the feedback we get from grateful recipients is always so positive.
“We’re acutely aware, via these local charities and good causes, that funding opportunities are becoming increasingly difficult to come by so MADL donations are even more in demand.”
The passion for donating doesn’t look like it will be ending any time soon, as Anthony concluded: “We want to shout from the rooftops about the brilliant organisations we support, the difference they make and how our customers and communities can get involved and benefit.”
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