We are delighted to announce that the staff, customers and members of Scotmid Co-operative have together raised an incredible £300,000 to support stroke survivors to rebuild their lives, survive and thrive.
The one year partnership, which was extended due to the Covid pandemic, raised funds for services provided by Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland (CHSS), Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke (NICHS) and England’s Different Strokes.
The charities can now provide six months of support for over 1000 stroke survivors in our communities, giving them the vital help and support that they need when they need it most.
Staff from Scotmid, Semichem, Scotmid Funerals and Lakes & Dales stores were fundraising superheroes, taking part in daredevil events like the Forth Bridge Abseil, an eight-hour relay challenge and Munro bagging. When the pandemic hit, their heroics went to the next level by doing everything from head-shaves to virtual marathons to keep supporting stroke survivors in their time of need.
Beyond fundraising, Scotmid and CHSS also joined forces to support vulnerable people throughout lockdown, with Scotmid staff from across Scotland working together with the charity’s Kindness Volunteers to deliver shopping.
Jane-Claire Judson, Chief Executive at Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland said:
“I want to say a massive thank you to everyone at Scotmid for the amazing charity partnership we have shared.
“Your support, your effort, your commitment and your passion has been above and beyond. You have kept us going through what has been one of the hardest years any of us have ever experienced.”
“You have shown your communities kindness, you have shaved your heads, run marathons, even virtual marathons as well as taking part in fancy dress days and bake sales. The amount of energy that everyone at Scotmid have put into the partnership has been really inspiring to me and everyone here at Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland.
“Thank you so much for the support that you have given hundreds of people across the country that I know will be so grateful for everything you have done for them. Our services support people after a stroke to regain their confidence, achieve their personal goals and get back to doing the things they love.
“Thanks to you, we will be able to continue to support stroke survivors and their families to live their lives to the full and to survive and thrive.”
John Brodie, Scotmid Chief Executive, said:
“In September 2019, we set ourselves the ambitious target of raising £300,000 to fund vital stroke rehabilitation support services.
“In what has undoubtedly been the most challenging year we have seen in retail and fundraising, I am so proud of what we have achieved. Not only raising a phenomenal £300,000, but also increasing awareness of symptoms and support services within our communities.
One in five people in the communities we serve will be affected by chest, heart or stroke conditions. Raising these funds and awareness enforces our core purpose “to serve our communities and to improve people’s everyday lives”.
Paula Leask suffered a stroke in 2015. Since her recovery she has become a Community Support Coordinator at Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland helping other stroke survivors. Her work is being funded by Scotmid’s generous fundraising. She said:
“I was lucky enough to be there at the beginning of this incredible partnership. It’s all thanks to the hard work, dedication, time and energy that Scotmid gave to Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland, that I’m still doing what I’m doing and continuing to support other stroke survivors.
“I too am a stroke survivor so I know how incredibly important that lifeline of support is and the day this partnership began was the day that Scotmid said they believed in us and gave us hope to move forward to continue to support others now and in the future. So, the biggest most heartfelt thank you to Scotmid for all that you have done for us, we appreciate it so much.”