Business
Charities set to cash in on Waitrose profits
29th April 2008
LOCAL charities are set to benefit from £1,000 cash donated from Waitrose's profits each month, thanks to a new in-store scheme, being piloted in Newbury.
Waitrose's Oxford Road branch is one of only four of 200 Waitrose branches countrywide chosen by the John Lewis Partnership to pilot the new Community Matters scheme, in which customers are given a token, after paying for their groceries, to vote in store for one of three local charities, by placing the token into a box.
Waitrose staff, who are all members of the John Lewis Partnership, or members of the public, nominate three local charities each month, from within the store's catchment area, and at the end of the month, the cash is divided up, in proportion to the number of tokens, after they have been counted up by staff.
"This is all about our partners and our members of staff donating part of our profits to a good cause," said store manager, Richard Oughton.
Three local charities set to benefit at the end of April include: The Thames Valley and Chiltern Air Ambulance, Mencap Bubble Club and The Dogs Trust, Plumbs Farm, Hampstead Marshall, and Mr Oughton said the Thames Valley and Chiltern Air Ambulance was "streaks" ahead in the voting stakes this month, while pointing out all three charities would benefit from a share of the cash, proportionate to the voting.
"Everyone's a winner!" he said.
The scheme, which started at the beginning of this month, has not been given an end date at the moment:
"This is something we are very proud of and want it to continue for an eternity," said Mr Oughton, adding over a 12 month period, a total of £12,000 would benefit around 36 local charities, while pointing out there were no rules to prevent a popular charity being nominated more than once to benefit from the scheme.
The other three Waitrose branches currently taking part in the scheme are: Wokingham, Henley, and Witney, near Oxford.
Waitrose's Oxford Road branch is one of only four of 200 Waitrose branches countrywide chosen by the John Lewis Partnership to pilot the new Community Matters scheme, in which customers are given a token, after paying for their groceries, to vote in store for one of three local charities, by placing the token into a box.
Waitrose staff, who are all members of the John Lewis Partnership, or members of the public, nominate three local charities each month, from within the store's catchment area, and at the end of the month, the cash is divided up, in proportion to the number of tokens, after they have been counted up by staff.
"This is all about our partners and our members of staff donating part of our profits to a good cause," said store manager, Richard Oughton.
Three local charities set to benefit at the end of April include: The Thames Valley and Chiltern Air Ambulance, Mencap Bubble Club and The Dogs Trust, Plumbs Farm, Hampstead Marshall, and Mr Oughton said the Thames Valley and Chiltern Air Ambulance was "streaks" ahead in the voting stakes this month, while pointing out all three charities would benefit from a share of the cash, proportionate to the voting.
"Everyone's a winner!" he said.
The scheme, which started at the beginning of this month, has not been given an end date at the moment:
"This is something we are very proud of and want it to continue for an eternity," said Mr Oughton, adding over a 12 month period, a total of £12,000 would benefit around 36 local charities, while pointing out there were no rules to prevent a popular charity being nominated more than once to benefit from the scheme.
The other three Waitrose branches currently taking part in the scheme are: Wokingham, Henley, and Witney, near Oxford.
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