At Co-op Childcare, we want to do our bit in the fight against coronavirus. We know that little things can make a big difference, so we set up our Frontline Hero Support Fund, to raise money to assist our local communities during the pandemic.
We are incredibly grateful for the work that NHS staff and all critical key workers are doing, but without childcare, many would be unable to perform their essential duties. That’s why we decided to use the fund to subsidise nursery fees for key workers, helping them keep working and saying a big thank you from us!
The grand total
We are delighted to announce that the fund has received £40,000 in donations in just three weeks. This includes a launch amount of £25,000 from Co-op Midcounties, 99 donations from Co-op family and friend, totalling £11,000, and a further £4,000 in 200 donations from the general public. Thank you to everyone for your generosity – your contribution is going to make a real difference to key worker families.
Helping those who are helping us
The fund is already being put to good use. 150 key worker parents and carers who applied for support will benefit from a 50% reduction in their nursery fees, which could mean savings of up to £1000! And we know this means a lot, because many families have been in touch to tell us – here’s a sample of some of their kind words:
Having support looking after my son was a MAJOR relief. He comes home so happy and energetic!
Chanel, NHS Nurse
The benefit of the nursery remaining open to us has been invaluable. And the fund will ease the added financial burden.
Carly, Royal Air Force
It has been amazing that you have taken on my daughter whilst we are in lockdown. Holly loves coming in and the staff have made her feel very welcome!
Vicky, COVID-19 Researcher
Thank you for helping our son settle in his new environment. The support fund initiative takes off major stress from being able to work.
Rana, Food Retail
I couldn’t have continued to work in a job I’m so passionate about if it wasn't for the nursery.
Kelly, NHS Respiratory Nurse
The fund is a huge blessing. Our son is having a brilliant time and is coming home tired out from all the fun.
Sam, Scientific Production Technician and Dave, Police Detective
I cannot commend the staff enough who look after my daughter while I care for children who have no one.
Carleen, Residential Care
You have provided an invaluable back up for us and eased the pressure of being two key working parents.
Sarah and James, Senior Server Engineer
Not forgetting our nursery key workers
Our nursery practitioners have a really important role to play – we couldn’t run our nurseries without them. We want to look after them, so they can continue to look after key worker children. That’s why we’ve also discounted their nursery fees by 50% during the coronavirus pandemic. This is part of a wider Co-op Midcounties initiative to support employees across all the Midcounties brands and thank them for their hard work to keep as many services running as possible.
Supporting all parents and carers
We recognise that this is a difficult time for everyone, so for Co-op families no longer sending their children to nursery, we’ve stopped charging fees to relieve some of the financial burden. And that’s not all. We understand that it can be a real challenge keeping children entertained at home. So we’re continually updating our resources as a source of ideas to keep children busy – why not take a look!
Part of our co-operative values
We believe in working in the best interests of our members, our colleagues and our communities. We’re guided by four key values: democracy, openness, equality and social responsibility. So when we see an opportunity to make a difference to those around us, we take it. It’s how we’ve being doing things for over 150 years.
Why not join us?
Community spirit plays a key role in all of our nurseries. We work with parents and carers, charities, care homes and other local organisations to create a supportive and caring environment, where children can find out about our values and learn to make their own choices, express their feelings and make a difference in the world. Sounds good? Your local nursery would love to tell you more! Find your local nursery.