News 
48,000 Donated to Edinburgh Community Projects
26 July 2010
Waitrose’s two Edinburgh stores are celebrating the second anniversary of a community fund that has seen local good causes benefit to the tune of £48,000 since the scheme started.
Women’s support groups, health charities, disability services and outreach programmes are just some of the projects that have benefited from the supermarket’s Community Matters scheme, which started in July 2008.
Each month shoppers and Partners (employees) at Waitrose Morningside and Comely Bank stores nominate three good causes to benefit from a share of the supermarket’s £1,000 regular donation.
The scheme is a nationwide one, with all 231 Waitrose stores donating money to local causes.
Benefiting from the initiative over the past few months has been Woman’s Support group charity based in Granton , which helps women with mental health problems gain social skills, it received £568, and DrumRiding a horse riding school for disabled people based in Gilmerton received £475. Other causes benefiting from the scheme have included Sick Kids Hospital, Lothian Talking Newspaper and The Daisy Chain Trust.
Paul Soane, Branch Manager at Waitrose Morningside, said:
“Customers are really keen to take part in Community Matters and enjoy finding out about causes in their local area. We get plenty shoppers voting and some even return to the store if they initially forget to cast their vote.
“It’s great to be part of an initiative that helps good causes on our doorstep, and the Waitrose team here are really enthusiastic about putting something back into the community.”
John Taylor, Branch Manager at Waitrose Comely Bank added:
“Over the past two years, more and more nominations for worthy causes have come from customers who, along with the team here, are passionate about being involved in Community Matters.
“I know that those involved in running these good causes really appreciate the extra funds and I’m sure that Community Matters makes a huge difference to many people in the area.”
How it works:
- Each month Partners (employees) and customers are asked to nominate three charities they’d like to benefit from the scheme
- At the checkout, shoppers are handed a green token which can then be placed into one of the three labelled boxes at the store exit
- The more nominations a cause gets, the greater the share of the £1000 they will receive. Every month a new group of community projects is selected.
Ends
For more information please contact Shaheena Abbas on 0131 556 0770 or shaheena.abbas@pagodapr.com
Notes to Editors
Waitrose in the Community
· Community Matters was launched in 2008
· As part of the John Lewis Partnership, Waitrose is owned by its employees, called Partners, who each receive an annual share in profits, ensuring an extra incentive to deliver a shopping experience that makes customers want to return.
· Waitrose has 231 branches, one in Glasgow at Byres Road and two in Edinburgh, each combining the convenience of a supermarket with the expertise and service of a specialist shop.
· Through the Golden Jubilee Trust scheme, Partners can also apply to work on full pay for local charities and community projects. Since the initiative was founded in 2000, Partners have provided over 114,000 hours to more than 280 UK charities.
