Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) has recognised top independent retailers for work in their local communities.
In order to provide more support for the sector that is doing so much to help their communities, CCEP has provided donations for the finalists and winners of Community Retailer of the Year and Community Initiative of the Year categories from The Convenience Awards 2022.
CCEP’s senior external communications manager Amy Burgess presented Community Retailer of the Year Dary Sweeney of Sweeney’s Budgens in Wendover with £1,000 to be donated to charity.
Inspired by CCEP’s generosity, the donation is being matched by the Wendover Parish Council to set up the Wendover’s Warm Welcome initiative to help those living in energy poverty. The initiative provides hot drinks and biscuits in a village hall one day a week with plans to expand it in the New Year.
The winner of the Community Initiative of the Year category, H & Jodie’s in Walsall, was presented with £1,000 by CCEP representative Paul Meredith.
The family decided to allow their community decide how the money would be spent and put it to a public vote. They received almost 400 votes on their FaceBook page and given the volume of interest in the idea, Harj decided to double the money to £2,000 and split it among four good causes - H2HU (Hands To Help You), Tots in Need, Alfies Smile and Parent and Carer Support Group Walsall, Wolverhampton and Surrounding Areas.
All of the other finalists in these categories were awarded £500 each to donate to a charity of their choice.
Editor of Convenience Store, Aidan Fortune, thanked Coca-Cola Europacific Partners for the donations to the finalist and winners. “This is an amazing gesture on behalf of CCEP and one that is greatly appreciated by the winners, finalists and recipients of the donations,” he said. “The work being done by independent retailers to help their communities is inspiring and for CCEP to support them in this way means a great deal for everyone involved. The donations will go a long in helping these community initiatives.”
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