Scotmid raises over £450k for Alzheimer Scotland
LEADING Scottish convenience retailer Scotmid has celebrated a landmark in fundraising with Alzheimer Scotland, the chain’s lead charity partner.
Marking the retail society’s highest-ever total for the programme, Scotmid colleagues have managed to raise a whopping £474,474 through its annual national charity partnership for Alzheimer Scotland, with funds also going towards Alzheimer Society to benefit activity in England and Northern Ireland.
Henry Simmons, Alzheimer Scotland’s chief executive, said: “Alzheimer Scotland is incredibly grateful to Scotmid for choosing us to be their Charity Partner for the past year. We’d like to send a huge, heartfelt thank you to all the members, customers and colleagues involved in raising such an amazing amount of money to support our work.
“Together they have helped us to take our message out into communities across Scotland and the north of England, empowering people of all ages to protect their brain health, reduce their risk of dementia, and help make sure that nobody faces dementia alone.”
Over the course of 12 months, Scotmid colleagues, members and customers across Scotland, Lakes & Dales Co-op, Semichem, Scotmid Funerals and Fosters Funeral Directors helped to support the campaign and raise funds across local communities in the UK. This was through different community initiatives including abseils, PJs days, runs, sponsored walks and Tough Mudder events.
Customers also support the initiative through their spending as well. Through Scotmid’s micro-donation initiative with Pennies, shoppers in both Scotmid and Semichem stores could add 10p digital donations when pay by card to help make a small, everyday contribution to the fundraising effort.
Scotmid also worked to raise awareness for the charity over the course of the 12 months through its Babs the Brain initiative, which is Alzheimer Scotland’s giant walk-through inflatable brain that is named in honour of Dame Barbara Windsor who died of Alzheimer’s disease in 2020. Babs visited communities across Scotland as part of the Big Brain Tour, offering people of all ages a memorable opportunity to learn about brain health.
Almost 20,000 people took part in the tour, with the partnership also reaching out to local schools to help spread this message to young people as well.
Karen Scott, chief executive officer at Scotmid, said: “This is a proud moment for the Scotmid family and a wonderful result to celebrate. Achieving our highest-ever annual charity partnership total is a powerful reflection of our co-operative spirit, and of the kindness, energy and commitment shown by colleagues, members and customers across our Society.
“From fundraising challenges and community events to customers adding 10p at the till, this total has been built through thousands of individual acts of support – each one helping to make a bigger collective difference.
“What makes this partnership especially meaningful is that it has gone beyond fundraising. Together with Alzheimer Scotland, and with the support of Alzheimer’s Society in England and Northern Ireland, we have helped bring brain health messages into our communities, including to children and young people through the school’s activity.
“I want to thank everyone who got behind the partnership. This outstanding achievement shows what can be achieved when people come together behind a shared cause.”
