Co-op pharmacy raises £100,000 for charity

Verity Rowles, Head of Corporate Partnerships UNICEF UK with John Nuttall, Managing Director of The Co-operative Pharmacy

The Co-operative Pharmacy has raised £100,000 for UNICEF, the world’s leading children’s organisation, at a recent charity dinner.

The fantastic sum was generated by holding a raffle and auction amongst staff and suppliers at Manchester Cathedral last Friday (24 September 2010).

UNICEF UK ambassador, Ewan McGregor, thanked The Co-operative Pharmacy for supporting the charity and helping to champion the issue of sanitation through its involvement with a UNICEF community development project in Togo, West Africa.

As part of its recently launched ethical strategy, The Co-operative Pharmacy has pledged £300,000 over the next three years to support a project that will help to improve sanitation in 300 villages in Togo, improving the health of an estimated 110,000 children and their families.

John Nuttall, Managing Director of The Co-operative Pharmacy, said: “As a co-operative business we are concerned with more than just pursuing profit and our responsibilities do not stop at caring for communities in the UK.

“A recent appraisal of world anti-poverty targets at the United Nations Millennium Development Goals Review meeting indicated that sanitation is one of the areas in most need of urgent attention. As an ethical business, we strongly believe in doing our bit to help improve this issue.”

Verity Rowles, Head of Corporate Partnerships, UNICEF UK spoke at the event and commented: “I’d like to thank Co-operative Pharmacy staff and suppliers for the tremendous support they have given. Their fundraising efforts will help to make a real difference in the lives of vulnerable children and their families in Togo. Poor sanitation is a major contributor to the 1.5 million children who die each year in the developing world. Partnerships such as that between UNICEF UK and The Co-operative Pharmacy represent a practical commitment to saving and improving children’s lives.”

Co-operative Pharmacy branches continue to raise money for the charity and customers can support UNICEF’s work by making a donation at any branch.