Previous Charity Partners

Our previous charity partners have included the following:

Children’s Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS) – 2020/2022 – £375,000

For thirty years, CHAS has delivered world-class care for babies, children and young people (aged 0-21 years) with life-shortening conditions and their families across Scotland.

As the national specialist provider of hospice care to children, they offer highly personalised care in hospice, hospital, at home and virtually that begins at diagnosis and extends right through to either transition to adult services or bereavement.

Funds raised through the partnership will enable the vital development and expansion of their outreach service, CHAS at Home, and help the charity on its ambitious mission of reaching every child and family that needs their help in communities across Scotland.

CHAS at Home visits are entirely tailored to each family. Usually lasting 3-4 hours, they provide all the essential care that families would experience in a hospice in the comfort and safety of their own home. This can include respite, fun activities, nursing care, physiotherapy and, most importantly, the emotional support families need to create wonderful memories with their children.

Together, CHAS and Scotmid want to ensure that no family is alone through the terrifying heartbreak of knowing their child will die young.

Three other children’s hospices across Scotmid’s trading areas will also benefit from funds raised: Jigsaw, Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice and St Oswald’s Hospice.

Criona Knight, CHAS Head of Partnerships and Philanthropy, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to partner with Scotmid and look forward to continuing to build this transformational partnership. Working together will undoubtedly help us on our mission of reaching every child and family in Scotland that needs our help.

“Funds raised through this partnership will help develop and further expand our CHAS at Home service – a service that we deliver all across Scotland that has been a lifeline to those that we support, especially in a year where many families have felt isolated and alone.

“With the help of Scotmid, we will be able to reach families that need us in the most remote parts of Scotland and ensure that everything from nursing care and physiotherapy to emotional support and respite is provided in the comfort of their own home.”

Chest, Heart & Stroke – 2019/2020 – £300,000

Colleagues, customers and members of Scotmid Co-operative have raised £300,000 for the society’s charity partner Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland (CHSS).

The one-year partnership, which was extended due to the Covid-19 pandemic, raised funds for services provided by Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland, Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke (NICHS) and England’s Different Strokes.

Thanks to Scotmid’s support, Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland can provide six months of support for 1,000 stroke survivors.

Staff from Scotmid, Semichem, Scotmid Funerals and Lakes & Dales stores took part in events like the Forth Bridge Abseil, an eight-hour relay challenge and Munro bagging. Activities during the pandemic crisis included head-shaves and virtual marathons.

Beyond fundraising, Scotmid and CHSS also joined forces to support vulnerable people throughout lockdown, with Scotmid staff across Scotland working together with the charity’s Kindness Volunteers to deliver shopping.

Jane-Claire Judson, CEO at CHSS, 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… 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.”

Scottish SPCA – 2018/2019 – £325,000

Members, customers and staff of Scotmid Co-operative have together helped to raise a phenomenal £325,000 for the Scottish SCPA, RSPCA and USPCA as part of the community retailer’s charity partnership.

The funds for Scotland’s longest-standing animal welfare charity, will directly support the Scottish SPCA in educating the next generation of animal lovers through its ‘Prevention Through Education’ Programme which is active in over 1,000 schools.

Through Scotmid’s support, thousands of children are expected to learn about animal welfare through the ‘Prevention Through Education’ programme.

The year-long partnership saw staff from Scotmid’s food stores, Semichem, Scotmid Funerals and Lakes & Dales stores in Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England take on the task of raising funds by participating in a variety of activities ranging from sponsored walks to zip slides and raffles, whilst customers were able to purchase limited-edition Scottish SPCA glittery paw-print badges in stores.

Scotmid’s support for the Scottish SPCA also extended to support the charity’s first ever primary and secondary school film competition, providing awards for the winning schools and individuals.

The £325,000 total means Scotmid have now raised a staggering £2m for their last six charity partners since 2013.

Samaritans – 2017/2018 – £315,000

Thanks to you, together we’ve co-operated and raised £315,000 for Samaritans, funding 63,000 calls for the charity. Samaritans responds to more than 5.4 million calls for help every year, offering emotional support by phone, email, text and face to face in its 201 branches across the UK and Republic of Ireland. With 2,000 trained volunteers across Scotland, Ireland and Northern England, they offer a safe space for people to access support 24 hours a day.

Employees, members and customers from Scotmid, Semichem, Lakes & Dales Co-op and Scotmid Funerals took part in different activities over the past 12 months in a bid to raise money for the charity. Events included an indoor cycleathon with Mark Beaumont, a yoga event with Adam Husler, quizzes and even a sponsored zip slide. Stores across Scotland also took part in Samaritan’s ‘Brew Monday’ and sold copies of the Radio Forth One ‘Kid in the Kitchen’ joke books and a limited edition pack of Grahams Cupcakes.

During the partnership we have been educating colleagues and customers about the vital work that the charity does and have been overwhelmed by the support in reaching our fundraising goal. As well as raising money, we hope that the partnership has played a part in easing the stigma surrounding mental health.

Childline – 2016/2017 – £345,000

Once again thanks to you; our members, customers and staff we managed to raise £345,000 for NSPCC’s Childline. beating the original fundraising target by 15 per cent. The money raised will allow the NSPCC-run confidential advice service for children to answer approximately 85,000 calls, emails and online messages from young people who need someone to listen to them.

Childline provides vital free and confidential support 24/7 to desperate children and young people over the phone and online. As part of the partnership, Scotmid also actively promoted ways that staff and customers can volunteer for the helpline to counsel children and young people on a range of topics including mental health issues, family problems, body image, bullying and abuse.

The year-long partnership with the charity saw stores hold various fundraising activities, from dress down days and raffles to skydives, triathlons and long-distance cycle rides.

Alzheimer Scotland and Alzheimer’s Society – 2015/2016 – £375,000

We didn’t think we could do it… but we did it! Thanks to you; our members, customers and staff we managed to achieve our highest every total of £375,000 for Alzheimer Scotland and Alzheimer Society (England and Northern Ireland). These funds will help both charities provide personalized support, care services, community activities, information and advice for people with dementia, their families and carers in communities across our trading area.

Members of staff rose to the challenge once again and pushed themselves to raise lots of money. We had a team of intrepid cyclists who rode all the way from London to Paris in just three days; a brave member of staff who shaved her head, another ran her very first half marathon with only a few weeks’ notice and a combined team from Semichem and Scotmid climbed 3 mountains in 3 countries – all in 24 hours.

In additional to raising a tremendous amount of money, the partnership also helped our staff from across the business understand how best to communicate and support people living with dementia. Many staff have now undergone the Dementia Friend training and a number of our stores have now been categorised as “Dementia Friendly”.