East of England Co-op raise over £50k for Ukraine

East of England Co-op customers have raised £50,025.63 for the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal in response to the crisis in Ukraine, they announced today, International Day of Cooperatives.

The money was donated by East of England Co-op customers between 28 March and 5 June, will be going to DEC’s group of 15 UK charities, which includes Oxfam and British Red Cross. The final total of donations from customers totalled £44,425.63, which was topped with £5,600 by the East of England Co-op to make the final total.

Joint Chief Executive of the East of England Co-op, Niall O’Keeffe said: “We are so grateful to all of our customers who donated to our appeal for the DEC; their generosity has been vital in helping us raise such a fantastic amount of money that really will help make a difference to those in crisis in Ukraine. Reaching our target of £50k with the help from the board at the Co-op has been something we are all extremely proud of.”

“It felt apt to announce the milestone today, on the 100th International Day of Cooperatives, as we celebrate the difference co-operatives have in making the world a better place.”

Taking place today, 2 July 2022, cooperatives from across the world are marking the occasion. The theme for this year’s event is “Cooperatives Build a Better World”, emphasising the work they do internationally.

The East of England Co-op is also supporting Ukraine by stocking Chernigivske, or ‘Che’, the country’s most loved beer.  All profits from the sale of the lager are being distributed to various designated Non-Governmental Organisation’s (NGOs), including Caritas International, to support humanitarian relief efforts.

Niall O’Keeffe added: “We are encouraging our customers to keep their eye out for this beer in our stores and elsewhere – every can sold will help to support the people of Ukraine.”