Colleagues at the East of England Co-operative Society, the largest independent retailer in East Anglia, are getting together to fundraise in shops, branches and offices across Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex.

In addition to a week long fundraising campaign starting on 1st March the Society will be hosting a concert to be given by The Band of The Parachute Regiment on Thursday 11th March 2010.  

The concert will be held in the spacious Atrium at Wherstead Park, Suffolk, from 6.00 pm to 8.30 pm, and tickets will cost £7.50, including light refreshments.   Tickets are available from the Membership Department on 01473 786068 and from the reception at Wherstead Park, the Society’s headquarters near Ipswich.

All money raised from the fundraising week, and the profits from the concert, will be shared equally between three Service charities, Help for Heroes, SSAFA Forces Help and the Colchester Garrison Welfare Fund.

Richard Samson, Chief Executive of the East of England Co-operative Society said:  “This is a fantastic opportunity to support three very worthy causes that do so much for Service personnel who have been affected by their experiences while serving overseas.

“We have over 200 retail outlets and offices across East Anglia and have asked our colleagues to come up with fun ideas to raise money.  Customers shouldn’t be surprised if they call in for their shopping and find that store colleagues have ditched their uniform for fancy dress and there are competitions and bucket collections so that generous shoppers can also contribute.

“Many people locally, including some of our employees, have friends and relatives who are serving in the forces and we hope that by working together we can raise a meaningful sum of money that will make a real difference.”

Commander of Colchester Garrison, Colonel Tom Fleetwood said:  “We are humbled by the truly magnificent support of the East of England Co-operative Society in staging this week long fundraiser and concert in support of Service charities.  This money will directly benefit the soldiers within Colchester Garrison, which includes those serving in Wattisham and Woodbridge.”

The Band of The Parachute Regiment is based at Merville Barracks, Colchester, and undertakes both military and civilian engagements throughout the United Kingdom and abroad.   

The musicians continue to maintain a secondary role to the Field Army, in support of the Army Medical Services and have undertaken this role when called upon in times of conflict.  The Parachute Regiment will deploy to Afghanistan in October.

It has recently been announced that a new Personnel Recovery Centre is to be built near Berechurch Road, Colchester, which is expected to open next year.   The project is being built with money raised by Help for Heroes, and will be jointly run by the Army and the Royal British Legion.

Concert programme:

6 pm  Arrival
6.30 – 7.15 pm Band Concert
7.15 – 7.45 pm Interval - Tea/Coffee/soft drink and cake (included in ticket price)
7.45 – 8.30 pm Band Concert

A fundraising raffle will be held during the evening.

Concert Venue:

The concert will be held in the Atrium at the East of England Co-operative Society’s headquarters at Wherstead Park, where ample car parking is available in the main car park.  Wherstead Park is situated to the south of Ipswich adjoining the A14/A137 intersection at The Street, Wherstead, Near Ipswich, Suffolk IP9 2BJ.

About the charities:

• Help for Heroes

H4H is a strictly non-political organisation.  It was launched in October 2007 and provides practical, direct support for the wounded in Britain’s current conflicts mainly through grants to other Service charities.  Its current focus is to raise money for grants to create a series of regional Recovery Houses to be built across the UK to assist servicemen and women in the last stage of rehabilitation before returning to their unit or transition back into civilian life.
Visit www.helpforheroes.org.uk for more information.

• SSAFA Forces Help (Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association)

The charity celebrates its 125th Anniversary in 2010.  It has a long history of providing help and support for those who serve in our Armed Forces, and those who used to serve.  It also cares for their families.   SSAFA helped over 50,000 people last year alone and its services reflect the financial, practical and emotional issues people face today.
Visit www.ssafa.org.uk for more information.

• Colchester Garrison Welfare Fund

The Colchester Garrison Welfare Fund provides direct support to Colchester based troops and their dependants.  Support is given to sporting activities, recreational facilities and running events and social activities such as visits and days out for soldiers and their families.

Note to editors:

• The East of England Co-operative Society is the largest independent retailer in East Anglia and has over 200 trading outlets which are located in 74 towns and villages, including the three regional centres of Norwich, Ipswich and Colchester.  
  
• The Society’s diverse business activities include: supermarkets and food stores, travel, pharmacy, optical and funeral branches, petrol forecourts, motor dealership, training academy, and events and conference centre. 

Contact:
Miriam Harrup, Communications Manager, East of England Co-operative Society
Wherstead Park, The Street, Wherstead, Ipswich, Suffolk IP9 2BJ
Email: m.harrup@eastofengland.coop