Community Card
Chelmsford Star is proud of the support it gives to the communities in its trading area. The main thrust of the society's support for communities is through our award-winning Community Card scheme which helps groups to help themselves. More than 200 groups, spread throughout mid-Essex, receive quarterly payments based on the spending of their members in society stores. The society enhances the community dividends and whether the payments are large or small they are a useful addition to each group's income.
Charity of the Year
Since 2006, Chelmsford Star Co-operative has supported a different local charity each year to be the focus for staff fund raising. Over this time through a variety of initiatives and events, we have raised over £144, 000 which has benefitted the Essex Air Ambulance, Helen Rollason Heal Cancer, Little Havens Children’s Hospice,Macmillan Cancer Support and Families InFocus (Essex). This year we are working with Canine Partners. For further information on our Charity of the Year scheme click here.
Schools
The society involves itself with local schools, in particular with the two Co-operative Trust secondary schools in our area namely St Clere's at Stanford-le-Hope and the Anglo European School at Ingatestone. Support for schools includes Community Card groups in many local schools but also involves Citizenship and other activity such as Young Enterprise, sports sponsorship and the annual Food and Farming event at Writtle College where around 3,000 primary schoolchildren each year are introduced to the world of food production from local farms.
Launchpad
The Member Relations Officer holds mentoring sessions and has been successful in helping people looking to get back into the world of work.
Other donations
Where worthwhile causes are unable to create Community Card groups, such as one-off donations like Harvest 4 the Hungry the society is happy to help with cash donations or support in-kind.
Affiliations
Although there is no connection between the two organisations, we work with Holdfast Credit Union to promote the mutual and alternative financial services provision including the establishment of school banking by Holdfast in the two Co-operative Trust schools. We are committed to helping to improve the general level of financial literacy.
Bereavement Groups
Referred to under 'Funerals', where more specific details are given, we provide meeting venues and actively support self-help groups across our trading area bringing together the recently bereaved and volunteers, to help in dealing with the loss of a loved one. Amongst other things we organise activities to help restore a sense of normality into an otherwise difficult, empty or confused period of time and facilitate mutual support by common purpose, shared experience of grief and managing life-changing events.
Community Workshops
Periodically we hold workshops to assist Community Groups with fundraising ideas. Bringing groups together to explore areas of common interest includes offering advice on legal and financial matters and exploiting new ideas such as social media.