And... Members Also To Have Their Say on Society's Ethical Policy

CHRISTMAS is coming early for Members of the Heart of England Co-operative Society who are about to receive a 2008 calendar featuring hundreds of pounds worth of discounts in Society branches.

The Members’ Privilege Calendar, which is specially commissioned by the Society, features 12 picturesque scenes of Coventry, Warwickshire and south Leicestershire.

It will be distributed to the Society’s 65,000 Members across the region in December.
Included with the calendar are 36 vouchers giving year-round discounts on items at the Society’s Food, Non-Food, Travel and Funeral outlets.

Members can also take advantage of 10 per cent off one food shop above £5 every month, and of free delivery of non-food items from the Society.

All the offers will be contained within the calendar, which for the first time features picturesque scenes captured by Society members and customers.

As well as the Calendar, members will have the chance to support charities closest to their hearts.

The Society has drawn up a shortlist of worthy causes in line to receive a share of £10,000.
Members are asked to select their preferred charity. The most popular will receive £5,000 while the remaining cash will be divided equally between the other five causes.

The charities selected for nomination this year are Crossroads, LOROS (Leicestershire & Rutland Hospice), Multiple Sclerosis Society, Myton Hospice, Parkinsons Disease Society and Warwickshire Wildlife Sanctuary.

Through its Helping Hearts scheme the Society is the world’s only retailer to donate all profits from tobacco to local charities and other causes.

Ali Kurji, Heart of England Co-operative Society Chief Executive, said: "Through charity initiatives such as our calendar giveaway we aim to reinforce our commitment to the community and to our members.

"This is our largest ever single project through the Helping Hearts scheme which has proven to be a tremendous success - benefiting over 2,000 charities and good causes since it was first launched in May 2000."

This year members will also be sent a questionnaire which will form the basis of the Society’s new Ethical Policy.