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THE SOUTHERN CO-OPERATIVEWINTER 2015/16

Win!A Nutribullet blender,

cookery books, beauty treats and more great prizes Christmas

Make your entertaining deliciously easy

'Tis the season… How winter can be good for your health

Time for actionWhy we need to stop climate change

Here comes

LOCAL LIVES Get more from our business Charity and community update

3

contents

...to our latest issue. It’s

good to know how much

our members value this

magazine for membership

information, recipes,

community news and

fundraising – as well as

our giveaways (see p33

for our survey results).

Over 42% of respondents to this survey also

said they became a member because of the way

we support local communities and the environment.

This summer, colleagues embraced the Co-op

Big Clean during Co-operatives Fortnight,

litter-picking, weeding and beach-cleaning (p28).

Read more, too, about our charity awareness

week for Whizz-Kidz (p29), which helped raise

enough to fund three tailored, powered

wheelchairs for disabled children!

Members also told us they like news via email,

too, so if this is the case for you, let us know by

emailing [email protected].

As shown by the £86,500 donated to

Whizz-Kidz from odd pence on our 2015 Share

of the Profits (p32), it’s often the little things that

make all the difference. We’ve got plenty of

simple suggestions in ‘All you want for Christmas’

(p18) on ways to make festivities extra special

without unwelcome stress and expense. Our

recipes (p10) are easy to make and a tasty twist

on traditional Christmas fare. And remember, as

a little treat to yourself, enter our free giveaways

(p35) solely for TSC members! A happy, healthy

and prosperous year ahead to you!

CONTACT The Co-operative Magazine, The Southern Co-operative, 1000 Lakeside, Western Road, Portsmouth, Hampshire PO6 3FE Email [email protected] Web thesouthernco-operative.co.uk For membership queries phone 0800 65 20 124 or email [email protected] Southern Co-operative Limited is an industrial and provident society registered in England with registered number 1591R at registered office 1000 Lakeside, Western Road, Portsmouth, Hampshire PO6 3FE

SOPHIE BOXALL Editor

Welcome…

Features18 ALL YOU WANT FOR CHRISTMAS

Simple tricks to make Yuletide really special

21 WHY WINTER IS GOOD FOR YOU

The colder months can boost your health

23 WE MISS YOU SO MUCH

A time to remember loved ones

24 YOUR CARING CO-OPERATIVE

Together we are making things better

28 WE’RE GIVING BACK TO YOU

We’re helping local charities and groups

Food10 CHRISTMAS IS COMING

Try our easy entertaining ideas for

perfect parties

17 THE CAKE CRUSADER

The story behind Rosco the reindeer

The Co-operative Magazine is published on behalf of The Southern Co-operative by The River Group, Garden Floor, 16 Connaught Place, London W2 2ES.

Tel: 020 7420 7000. Fax: 020 7583 8598. Web: therivergroup.co.uk © The River Group 2015. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the

permission of the publisher. Repro by Zebra. The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the publishers, but of individual writers.

Regulars5 NOW’S A GREAT TIME TO...

Enjoy winter with these seasonal ideas

6 WHAT’S GOING ON?

The Oaks open day and new store openings

9 NEWS FROM YOUR SOCIETY

Tackling retail crime together

27 OPINION

Campaigner Tony Juniper on climate change

31 MY FAVOURITE THINGS

Create & Cook champions on what they like

32 MORE FOR OUR MEMBERS

Fundraising news and our survey results

34 PINBOARD

You have your say

35 OUR GREAT WINTER GIVEAWAY

A chance to win a nifty kitchen gadget

and lots of other goodies

10

18

28

For a chance to win a Nutribullet or book (p5), or a yogurt maker, water bottle,

cookbook, beauty set or cycling jacket (p35), send a postcard or email

marked NUTRI, BOOK, YOGURT, WATER, COOKBOOK, BEAUTY or

JACKET, with your name, address, phone number and your The Southern

Co-operative (TSC) membership number, to our address (left). To enter

online, click on WIN! at thesouthernco-operative.co.uk/membership. Closing

date: 20 January 2016. Full T&Cs on website. Only open to TSC members.

5

things to do

Tweak a festive treatThere’s nothing like a homemade mince pie

(turn to page 15 for our delicious recipe).

But life can get hectic at this time of year,

so if you’re feeling rushed, drop by your

local store and pick up some Loved By Us

Mince Pies and give them your own twist

by sprinkling with a mix of grated chocolate

and orange zest. For more easy entertaining

ideas, turn to page 18. PH

OTO

GR

AP

HY:

NATIO

NA

L T

RU

ST IM

AG

ES

WHIZZ UP A POWER SHAKEThe new year is a great time to get some healthy

eating and drinking under way. Try blending 25g

shredded fresh kale, 1 large apple (chopped), the

juice of 1 lemon, 2cm peeled fresh ginger root (or

½ tsp ground ginger) with water to the max line in a

super-powered Nutribullet blender. It makes blending

a breeze, extracting the maximum nutrition from

fruit, vegetables and seeds. Find more recipes at

buynutribullet.co.uk. We’ve one Nutribullet up for grabs,

worth £99.99. To enter, see page 3, prize code NUTRI.

love your leftoversTransform wilting veg and last

night’s leftovers into simple

and delicious meals with the

help of River Cottage Love Your

Leftovers. This

new book from

Hugh Fearnley-

Whittingstall

is full of clever

and creative

tips to make

tasty meals

from all kinds

of leftover

ingredients.

We’ve got one

signed copy to give away.

To enter, see page 3, prize

code BOOK.

GO WINTER WALKING Take part in Britain’s biggest

walking festival with the Ramblers (ramblers.org.uk/winterwalks). Running

from 19 December 2015 to 3 January 2016, there are hundreds of

free group walks, open to all. Choose from festive, kid-friendly strolls,

walks for health, wanders for those new to walking, plus some more

challenging treks. There’s something for everyone, so get out there!

Win!

Enjoy winter with these seasonal ideas

MEET SANTAGet the festive season off to a

great start by taking the kids

to meet Father Christmas at a

National Trust site near you.

Santa and his (real) reindeer

will be swinging by Hinton

Ampner in Hampshire on 21 and

22 December, 11am-4pm. Visit

the magical Christmas courtyard

and meet two of Santa’s favourite

reindeers, and in the Grotto

Father Christmas will be taking

note of present requests. Then

you can follow the family trail

and enjoy more Christmas fun.

For more information, log onto

nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/whats-

on/find-an-event.

BE A MEMBERMake the most of your

membership with us. Use your

membership card in our stores

and across our business.

Read more about the benefits

of this on page 32.

Win!

Our popular Local

Flavours range of food

and drink sourced from

local producers and suppliers

all began on the Isle of Wight

in 2006. So it is fitting that our

purpose-built store in Freshwater

on the Island, which opened

in September, is The Southern

Co-operative’s flagship Local

Flavours store. Food and drink

from over 35 Isle of Wight growers

and producers is stocked, with a

dedicated ‘Fresh from the Island’

counter, offering locally sourced

meat, fish, cheese, savoury pies

and more. Free Local Flavours

tastings will be held regularly in

store, so that customers can try

products from the range and will

be encouraged to support local.

The new store has good

green credentials, too. All store

waste is backhauled on delivery

vehicles to be sent for recycling,

anaerobic digestion or to an

energy-from-waste facility. The

car park surface is permeable

to absorb rainfall and minimise

puddles, and landscaping is

designed to attract wildlife and

enhance habitat through planting

and the inclusion of bat boxes and

a nesting sparrow terrace. Inside,

water-efficient measures such as

low-flow WCs, taps and showers

offer up to 40 per cent water

saving. Low-energy LED lighting

and occupancy sensors minimise

lighting use, and the building-

management system makes

for more efficient refrigeration,

heating and lighting, reducing

energy consumption.

All the electricity used by the

store comes from renewable

sources, through a green energy

contract. And customers with

electric vehicles can recharge

them at the store, as well as

being able to take advantage

of dedicated parking spaces.

6

WE’RE such good value for youThe price of both our Co-operative own-brand semi-skimmed

milk (four pints) and half-a-dozen free-range eggs remains

at £1 across all our stores as part of our ‘Value. Every Day.

Locally’ campaign. This great value for our customers

does not come at the expense of our dairy farmers and

egg suppliers, as it is funded wholly by The Southern

Co-operative. Neither have we compromised our ethical

standards, as all our eggs are free-range, and we continue

to purchase our milk through The Co-operative Dairy Group,

British dairy farmers who are paid a premium to produce milk,

having met Co-operative welfare and quality standards.

A flagship for our future

?

What’s going on?

We held an Oaks open day and have been opening lots of new food stores, including a very special one on the Isle of Wight. Plus, we are totally committed to Value.

Every Day. Locally

Freshwater, IoW Flavours store in Our flagship Local

all about us

Over 300 people came to our open day

with a difference, held earlier this year at

The Oaks, Havant Crematorium in Hampshire.

The Oaks Team Leader, Neil Fish, explains:

‘Visitors were very interested to see behind the

scenes and gain an understanding of how a

crematorium is run. This, in turn, helped to

dispel the myths surrounding cremation. We’ve

had some lovely feedback, and it’s encouraging

that we have helped to reassure people.’

Our partners, Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife

Trust, led tours around the grounds, to explain

the conservation work they have undertaken to

protect and enhance the environment and wildlife.

Visitors also saw the wildflower meadow, natural

pond and ancient woodland.

One visitor commented: ‘Having previously

only been to The Oaks to attend two funerals,

I visited with different eyes. The tour was

interesting, the grounds are peaceful and inviting,

and – above all – each member of your team was

pleasant, knowledgeable and friendly. I hope that

the open day was as successful for you as it was

mind-settling for me.’

The Oaks can accommodate funeral services

for up to 200 people from any cultural and

ethnic background, as well as alternative forms

of farewell. havantcrematorium.co.uk

You are welcome to attend the memorial

service at The Oaks on 12 December.

Read more on p23.

A very different day out

Feeling very welcomeOur new store openings over the past few

months have been well received locally. In

Odiham, where we replaced the old store

with one twice the size, Store Manager

Tony Scott (above, third left) says: ‘There

was a real buzz from the community

about the store opening, which is exciting

for us. We want to be a local hub for the

community, and cater for all its needs.’

Odiham’s customers can also use a

Citizens Advice Bureau kiosk to access

information online at any time during

opening hours (7am–10pm). A defibrillator,

provided by Hook & Odiham Lions Club,

sits on the store’s exterior wall.

To celebrate our store opening in

Banwell, near Weston-super-Mare, in

August, we donated £500 to be shared by

user groups of the village hall, including

the local gardening club, playgroup,

Guides and Brownies, Cubs and Scouts.

Nicci Freake, Bookings Secretary at

Banwell Village Hall, says: ‘We couldn’t

wait for the store to open! It’s brilliant

for the village, turning an empty site into

something everyone in the community

can use. A proper high-street store right

on our doorstep!’

Fifteen jobs were created with the

opening of our store in Cheswick Village, a

new residential development on the edge

of Bristol, with a further 18 jobs created at

our new Yeovil store, which was opened

by Peter Littlewood, Director of The Young

People’s Trust for the Environment (YPTE).

We’ve also opened in Cranbrook, near

Exeter, in Alder Road, Poole, and our Local

Flavours flagship store in Freshwater, on

the Isle of Wight (see opposite page).

Left:

Noodle,

Wallscourt

Farm

Academy’s

school dog,

helped

open our

Cheswick

Village store

the local community

store is a hub for

The new Odiham

WELL DONE WICKHAM!

Big congratulations are in

order for our Wickham store

in Hampshire; winners of

The News Retail & Leisure

Excellence Community

Contribution of the

Year Award.

The Southern Co-operative,

Sussex Police and the

Sussex Business Crime

Reduction Partnership are

working together to improve

crime reporting and

prevention across Sussex,

with support from the

Home Office.

Business crime accounts

for 21% of all recorded crime

in Sussex, and crime against

the retail sector accounts

for around 47% of that total.

According to the British Retail

Consortium, business crime

costs the UK retail sector a

whopping £511 million per year.

However, only one in 10 retail

crimes is reported, states the

British Retail Crime Survey 2013.

In a bid to improve things, the

Sussex Retail Crime Partnership

Project has been awarded

£249,000 (over two years)

through the Government’s

Police Innovation Fund. The

Southern Co-operative is

providing an additional £170,000

in resource support.

The aim of this project is to

encourage shops, particularly

in remote communities, to

engage with the police. It can

often be a challenge for them to

connect shop thefts carried out

in multiple locations to the work

TACKLING RETAIL CRIME TOGETHER

9

all about us

TSCnews

Business crime costs the

UK retail sector a whopping

£511 million each year

of a criminal individual or group.

This approach to intelligence

gathering will help identify regional

organised criminal activity.

Sussex Police & Crime

Commissioner Katy Bourne is

prioritising improved access to

information and intelligence, and

For The Southern

Co-operative, the Sussex

Retail Crime Partnership Project

provides a co-operative structure

for the businesses to deal with

crime as well as effective ‘boots

on the ground’. The Southern

Co-operative’s Loss Prevention

app Facewatch to report and

record retail crime electronically

to Sussex Police.’

The aim is to extend the

scheme further among the

business community and, by

doing so, retail stores can help

protect their profits and prevent

stock losses. The data retrieved

will help the police identify repeat

offenders and determine the

best police response.

The knock-on effect is a

far more robust approach to

tackling serious and organised

crime. Not surprisingly, there

is much interest in this project

and the potential to replicate

it in business communities

across the UK.

shops to engage with the police

The Sussex Retail Crime

Partnership Project is encouraging

better engagement between

police and the local business

community as part of the Sussex

Police & Crime Plan. ‘It is vital that

local organisations and the police

work together to reduce business

crime and help to create a safe

and secure county in which to live

and work,’ she says.

& Security Services Manager,

Gareth Lewis, explains: ‘The

project launched in September,

and business wardens are

initially operating within set areas

of Sussex, which covers all The

Southern Co-operative stores in

the county. The wardens will use

the secure online crime-reporting

Special

Report

Whether you want to get festive fast, cut down on cooking

or tweak a traditional treat, our deliciously simple food

ideas will make entertaining family and friends easy

is comingChristmas

Pretty nice Use a variety of glasses

in different shapes and

heights to add to the

decorative look of these

festive jellies.

11

Smoked Salmon Rotolos

Serves 6-8 (24-28 slices) Ready in around 15 minutes

200g mascarpone

Zest and juice of ½ small lemon

1 red chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped

25g rocket, chopped

200g The Co-operative Loved By Us

smoked salmon

2 The Co-operative tortilla wraps

Extra rocket leaves and lemon wedges, to garnish

1 Mix the mascarpone with the lemon zest

and juice, chilli and rocket. Season.

2 Place a piece of baking paper or cling film

slightly larger than the size of the wrap on a

work surface. Arrange 100g smoked salmon

slices next to each other to cover an area the

size of a tortilla wrap. Place a wrap on the

salmon, then spread with half the mascarpone

carbohydrates per serving: 25g

approx. per serving (serves 10)

% of adult’s reference intake

SATURATESENERGY

667kJ158kcal

SUGARS SALTFAT

0%

0g 0g 25g 0gLOW LOW MED LOW

7% 0% 27% 0%

carbohydrates per serving: 12.5g



SATURATESENERGY

1138kJ274kcal

SUGARS SALTFAT

27%

20g 11g 2g 1.4gHIGH* HIGH* LOW MED

13% 55% 2% 23%

*Thi

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Prosecco Jellies

Makes 10-12 Ready in around 20 minutes, plus setting

180g caster sugar

100ml cranberry juice

2 x (12g) sachets powdered gelatine

500ml prosecco

2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Fresh raspberries and icing sugar, to decorate

1 Place the caster sugar in a heavy-based

saucepan with 300ml water. Heat gently until

the sugar has dissolved then increase heat

slightly until simmering. Simmer for 5 minutes

then remove from heat. Stir in cranberry juice.

2 Meanwhile, pour 150ml cold water into a

bowl. Sprinkle over the gelatine and leave to

soak for 2-3 minutes, until spongy. Dissolve

in the microwave for 30-40 seconds until

smooth, runny and clear. Give extra 10

second bursts if not fully dissolved.

3 Whisk the dissolved gelatine mixture into the

cranberry liquid then add the prosecco and

lemon juice. Mix well. Divide between 10-12

serving glasses, cover loosely with cling film

and chill for 5-6 hours or overnight, until set.

To serve, decorate with fresh raspberries

and dust lightly with icing sugar.

and rocket mixture. Roll up the salmon, using

the baking paper or cling film to help you.

3 Spread the remaining mascarpone mixture

over the other wrap. Top with the rest of the

smoked salmon slices, then roll up tightly.

4 Cut both rotolos into 2cm slices. Arrange

on a serving platter or on skewers. Garnish

with rocket leaves and lemon wedges.

Light bite Try a little chopped

avocado in the mix. Or, for

a lower-fat version, swap

the mascarpone

for ricotta.

Festive Meatballs

Makes 28 (serves 4-6 as a main course;

8-10 as a party bite) Ready in around 30 minutes

MEATBALLS

1 onion, peeled and very finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

500g lean minced beef, lamb or pork

1 tbsp tomato purée

1 tsp ground cumin, or to taste

1 tsp ground coriander, or to taste

1 tsp paprika

75g fresh breadcrumbs

A small handful of freshly chopped

coriander or parsley (optional)

1 medium egg, beaten

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp grated orange rind and chopped

coriander or parsley, to garnish

SAUCE

Finely grated rind of 1 orange and 3 tbsp of the juice

6 tbsp The Co-operative Loved By Us

cranberry sauce

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/

Gas 4. Line a baking tray with baking paper.

Place the onion, garlic, minced meat, tomato

purée, spices, breadcrumbs and coriander

or parsley in a large bowl. Season well. Use

your hands to mix together thoroughly. Add

the beaten egg and mix again.

2 Wash and wet your hands

(to prevent sticking). Roll spoonfuls of the

mixture between your hands to make around

28 walnut-sized meatballs.

3 Heat the olive oil in a large, non-stick frying

pan and cook the meatballs over a medium

heat for 6-8 minutes (in batches if necessary),

turning frequently until browned. Remove with

a slotted spoon and place on the lined baking

tray. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove

excess oil on kitchen paper before serving.

4 Meanwhile, place grated orange rind and

juice in a saucepan with cranberry sauce and

heat gently, stirring until well combined.

Simmer for a few minutes. Spoon sauce over

the meatballs, garnish with orange rind and

herbs. Serve with rice and vegetables.


approx. each meatball


SATURATESENERGY

210kJ50kcal

SUGARS SALTFAT

2%

1.5g 0.5g 3g 0.1gMED MED MED LOW

2% 2% 3% 1%

12

Feed a crowd Make smaller balls and

serve as a party bite. Or serve

the sauce with ready-made

meatballs.

Spicy Stuffed Squash Serves 4 Ready in around 1 hour 45 minutes

2 butternut squashes

3 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, peeled and finely chopped

2-3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

300g leeks, sliced

75g The Co-operative Loved By Us semi-dried

tomatoes, chopped

50g fresh breadcrumbs

3 tbsp pine nuts

100g The Co-operative Rich & Creamy

Blue Stilton, crumbled

Freshly chopped chives or parsley, to

garnish (optional)

1 Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C Fan/

Gas 6. Using a large, sharp knife, cut

the butternut squash in half, lengthways.

Scoop out the seeds and discard. carbohydrates per serving: 52g



SATURATESENERGY

2633kJ632kcal

SUGARS SALTFAT

51%

36g 9g 26.5g 1.1gHIGH* HIGH* LOW LOW

31% 44% 29% 18%

2 Place the squash, flesh side up, in a baking

dish. Drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil and season.

Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour. Uncover

and return to the oven for 20 minutes or until

the flesh of the butternut squash is tender.

3 Meanwhile, make the filling. Heat the

remaining oil in a large non-stick frying pan.

Add the chopped onion and garlic and cook

for 4-5 minutes, until beginning to soften. Add

the leeks and cook for a further 6 minutes,

until the leeks are soft. Remove from the heat

and stir in the chopped semi-dried tomatoes,

breadcrumbs and pine nuts. Season and

leave to cool. Once cool, stir in the Stilton.

4 Remove the squash from the oven, scoop

out the flesh and fold it into the leek mixture.

Spoon the mixture back into the squash and

return to the oven for 8-10 minutes, or until

the filling is golden and the cheese is melted.

Serve straight away, scattered with freshly

chopped chives or parsley (optional).

13

Winter warmer

Use up Christmas

leftovers like cooked

ham and turkey in the

squash stuffing.

14

Super Healthy Salad

Serves 4 Ready in around 15 minutes, plus infusing

DRESSING

3 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 garlic clove, peeled and halved

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp honey

A small handful of freshly chopped parsley

SALAD

1 bulb of fennel

300g The Co-operative Loved By Us peeled

Brussels sprouts, trimmed and very thinly sliced

1 red pepper, de-seeded and cut into thin strips

50g walnut halves, toasted and roughly chopped

1 crisp eating apple, cored and chopped

1 Place the oil, lemon juice, garlic, mustard

and honey in a screwtop jar. Season and

shake well to mix. Add the parsley and set

aside to infuse (for at least 30 minutes).

2 Cut the feathery fronds from the fennel and

finely chop. Add to the salad dressing jar.

Finely slice the fennel into fine shreds.

3 Place all the salad ingredients in a bowl

and toss to mix. Remove the garlic from the

dressing and shake again. Pour over the salad

and toss again to coat. Serve straight away.

carbohydrates per serving: 10g



SATURATESENERGY

1009kJ244kcal

SUGARS SALTFAT

26%

18.5g 2.5g 9g 0.2gMED LOW LOW LOW

12% 12% 10% 3%

14

Get fruity Instead of apple and

walnuts try adding chopped

clementine segments and

toasted hazelnuts to

the salad.

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approx. each mince pie


SATURATESENERGY

1054kJ252kcal

SUGARS SALTFAT

18%

13g 4.5g 19g 0.2gHIGH* HIGH* HIGH* LOW

12% 23% 20% 3%

Clementine and Chocolate Mince Pies

Makes 16 Ready in around 30 minutes

10g butter, for greasing 1 jar of The Co-operative Loved By Us mincemeat Finely grated rind of 2 clementines, and the juice of ½ clementine 60g The Co-operative Truly Irresistible Ghanaian dark chocolate with spices and orange oil, chopped Flour, for dusting 500g ready-made shortcrust pastry Beaten egg, to glaze Icing sugar, for dusting

1 Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C

Fan/Gas 6. Lightly grease 16 holes in

two non-stick patty/pie tins (or make

in batches if you only have one tin).

Place the mincemeat in a bowl and

add the clementine rind and juice. Mix

well. Stir in the chopped chocolate.

2 Lightly dust a surface with flour. Roll

out the shortcrust pastry to around

3mm thick. Use a 8cm round cutter

to stamp out 16 circles. Place the

pastry circles in the holes of the tins.

3 Divide the chocolate orange

mincemeat between the pastry

cases, spooning it into the centre

of each. Re-roll the pastry and cut

out 16 Christmas shapes, such as

stars, Christmas trees or bells.

Gently place the shapes on top of

the mincemeat.

4 Brush the mince pies with beaten

egg and bake for 12-15 minutes or

until golden. Serve warm or cold,

dusted with icing sugar.

Spice it up Swap the chocolate

and clementine for a

little chopped stem ginger

and lemon zest in the

mincemeat mix.

The Co-operative Large Tortilla Wraps (8-pack)MAG/Tortilla/winter15

The Co-operative Rich & Creamy Blue Stilton 230gMAG/Stilton/winter15

The Co-operative Lean Beef Steak Mince 500gMAG/Mince/winter15

60p

50p

50p

The Co-operative Loved By Us Mincemeat 411g MAG/Mincemeat/winter15

60p

T&Cs: The voucher may only be redeemed at The Co-operative food stores operated by The Southern Co-operative Limited and must be presented at time of purchase to receive advertised saving. The voucher may not be used for alternative products and is not refundable nor may it be exchanged for cash. Only original vouchers are valid and no photocopies will be accepted. Valid until 6 January 2016.




Meet Rosco, The Co-operative

Food’s new Loved By Us

Reindeer Cake. His existence

this Christmas is all thanks to the

success of 2014’s Snowman Cake, which flew

off the shelves – 40,000 cakes were produced,

with 95 per cent of them selling within 11 days.

‘We knew we had to bring the Snowman

back,’ says Food Product Developer Paul

Dempsey, who’s responsible for instore bakery

items. ‘But his popularity gave us the

confidence to try a new festive chocolate cake.’

These fun cakes came about following a

decline in the sales of Christmas puddings.

According to a survey by a UK food magazine,

only 54 per cent of adults now like to eat the

traditional festive dessert.

‘We wanted to create an alternative Christmas

centrepiece,’ explains Paul. ‘One that could be

appreciated by kids and adults alike.’

After deciding on a chocolate cake, the

obvious option was to make it a reindeer. Two

of The Co-operative’s regular suppliers were

invited to submit their concepts for the cake.

‘Greencore, which makes our sandwiches

and many ready meals, got very close to what

we wanted,’ Paul says. ‘They won the contract.’

The Co-operative Food has a robust process

for launching new products. For the Reindeer

Cake, Paul worked closely with the buyer and

technical manager to make sure it could be

produced in the quantities required, and at the

right price. Because the Reindeer Cake is for

Christmas, it went all the way up to the chief

‘We wanted to create an alternative

Christmas centrepiece – one that

could be appreciated by kids and

adults alike’ Paul Dempsey, Food Product Developer

CHRISTMAS story

17

and mark them using an app. ‘Rosco scored

8.1 out of nine,’ Paul says.

The £6 cake got its name in a competition

to find the perfect moniker. Rosco was picked

with the help of celebrity judge Luis Troyano,

a finalist in series five of the BBC’s The Great

British Bake Off. The winner won a cake and

one for each colleague in their store.

Christmas never really ends for Paul and his

colleagues. ‘As soon as the mince pies come

out in September, we start development for

next year’s range,’ says Paul. ‘Christmas is

a year-round event for me. Food-wise, not a

day goes by when I don’t think about it.’

executive before being signed off.

Then the Taste Team had to give its verdict.

The team is made up of volunteers from

other sections of The Co-operative

community. They take new products home

The cake crusader

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This chocolate Reindeer Cake will put

a smile on everyone’s face at Christmas

The Co-operative Food’s Paul

Dempsey explains how the new

Loved By Us Chocolate Reindeer

Cake arrived in store

All

YOU

want for

ChristmasThis most wonderful time of the year isn’t

about spending too much on expensive presents or wearing ourselves out cooking that meal.

It ’s about all the lit tle things that make it extra special for you, your

family and friends…

An alternative tree Why not do something different this year? Find some

large, twiggy branches and put them in a jug or in soil

in a pot. Spray them white and add touches of gold

or silver to the branch ends with spray paint. Add

a string of LED lights and some simple decorations.

Then leave some brown luggage labels next to it, and

ask family and guests to write their own personalised

messages on them to hang on the tree. You’ll have

some happy memories to keep after Christmas.

18

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Simple giFTS A £440 robot is topping the list

of must-have high-tech toys this Christmas. Instead,

why not opt for a few homemade presents as a

simpler, cheaper and delicious alternative. Homemade

chutneys, sweets and decorated tree biscuits all

make great gifts.

spend time with friends and family The best thing about Christmas is catching up with

family and friends, so you don’t want to be stuck in the

kitchen, missing out on all the fun. Pop into your local

Co-operative Food store and

stock up on time-saving

foods. You’ll fi nd perfect

Christmas buffet and

snack foods such as

The Co-operative

Loved By Us Smooth

Brussels Pâté, Houmous

Selection Pack, Baking

Camembert with Pancetta

and Sausage Roll Pinwheels. For

sweet lovers, try festive treats such

as The Co-operative Profi teroles. You’ll also fi nd healthy

seasonal fruit and veg, such as juicy clementines.

The music sets the mood. Find

a song for present wrapping,

cooking, decorating the tree –

or working off that Christmas

dinner – by downloading our

top six favourites…

Christmas Song (Chestnuts

Roasting On An Open Fire)

by The King Cole Trio

Let it Snow! Let it Snow!

Let it Snow! by Vaughn

Monroe/Dean Martin/Smokey

Robinson & The Miracles

Rockin’ around the Christmas

Tree by Brenda Lee

All I want for Christmas is You

by Mariah Carey

Fairytale of New York

by The Pogues featuring

Kirsty MacColl

Christmas Lights by Coldplay

Or buy a Christmas-themed

CD. We love the two-disc

A Family Christmas: 44

Christmas Classics by various

artists, including Bing Crosby,

Judy Garland, Doris Day and

The Beverley Sisters, £4.99.

Or for a more traditional touch,

try Carols from Winchester

Cathedral, £9.87.

19

Fantastic festive playlist

Wintry scent Nothing beats the smell of pine, cinnamon and

orange to say Christmas is here. Make your

own festive pot pourri by piling a handful

each of small pine cones, cinnamon

sticks, star anise and dried orange slices

into a bowl.

(To dry the orange slices, blot with paper

towels and put in the oven at 120°C/100°C

Fan/Gas ½ for three hours; or leave them on top

of a radiator for a few hours). Leave by the front door

so you’re greeted with the scent. It makes a great

gift, too – wrap in cellophane and tie with ribbon.

A sprout or two Make Brussels sprouts irresistible! Melt

50g butter. Add 2 tsp grated lemon zest, the

juice of half a lemon, ½ tsp dried chilli fl akes,

50g brown sugar and 50g chopped walnuts.

Cook gently until the nuts caramelise. Stir in

750g blanched Brussels sprouts. Delicious!

Festive fi lms Take time out with the family

pre-Christmas to get in the

festive mood with a classic

seasonal fi lm. It’s a great way

to build up the excitement.

Hunker down with some warm,

mulled wine or hot chocolate

and a plate of mince pies, and

enjoy one of our fi ve favourite

festive fi lms…

s¬ It’s a Wonderful Life – the

all-time Christmas classic

(pictured)

s¬ Elf – if you haven’t seen

it already, make 2015 the

year you do

s¬Scrooge

s¬Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

s¬Home Alonehot not toddy Someone has to do the

driving over Christmas,

so don’t leave out the

teetotallers. Put a cup

each of cranberry

juice and orange juice,

2 cloves, 1 tbsp honey,

½ tsp grated ginger,

1 cinnamon stick and

a squeeze of lemon in

a pan. Warm through.

Serve as a hot toddy

with slices of orange.

christmas at home

THE BEST CHRISTMAS DINNER EVER

Try TV chef and mum of three Rachel Allen’s

top three tips for the perfect festive meal.

1 Start thinking about your Christmas menu

a few weeks before. Make lists – it helps to get

everything down on paper.

2 People like to contribute, so delegate. My

aunt was renowned for her delicious ham and

was always delighted to bring one along.

3 If things get a little overwhelming in the

kitchen, go outside and take 10 deep breaths.

It never fails!

Fine festive tipples

It always pays to plan ahead at Christmas time. Look out for deals in store on festive fizz such as The Co-operative Prosecco to get the party started, and red and white wines to go with your roast. If you’re planning a party over the Christmas period, turn to page 11 for our recipe for Prosecco Jellies to welcome your guests.

A time for giving

Christmas is a time to

think of others outside

our own circle of friends

and family. While you’re

doing your Christmas

food shop, perhaps you

could donate an item

to the food bank at your

local store. Or if you

have a bit more time,

how about volunteering

in your area? Getting involved with a deserving cause in

your community is a great way to start the new year.

Monopoly: Why not buy the 80th anniversary

edition, featuring tokens from the 1930s to present

day, as a Christmas pressie for the family?

Scrabble: This word game is never out of fashion.

Trivial Pursuit: Quick-fire questions that will bring

out your guests’ competitive streak.

Classic board games

20

Did you know...?O Just under 60 million

Christmas trees are grown

each year in Europe.

O��Christmas pudding was

originally a soup made

with raisins and wine.

O��Jingle Bells was the first

song to be sung in space –

by astronauts Tom Stafford and

Wally Schirra on 16 December 1965.

O��A quarter of the 40,000 tons of Brussels

sprouts we eat annually in the UK are consumed in December.

O��It’s thought that the Ancient Greeks may have started

the tradition of kissing under mistletoe, and it was later

extended to wedding ceremonies. It became a tradition in

Britain during Victorian times. Apparently, if a girl refused

a kiss while standing under the plant, she wouldn’t get

any marriage proposals the following year!

your health

21

Here’s how the colder months can be beneficial to your health. Plus, find all you need to treat

seasonal sniffles in our stores

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It Boosts your immunityBeing exposed to cold for

short bursts can help keep

your immune system strong.

How? Because your metabolic

rate speeds up as your body

tries to warm itself when it’s

cold and you produce more

immune-protective white blood

cells, which help fight off bugs.

Those brave people who take

daily dips in freezing-cold water

have the right idea. Research

by Professor Vijay Kakkar of the

Thrombosis Research Institute

in London shows that cold

water boosts your circulation

and stimulates immune cell

production. So, a cold blast

of the shower every morning

or getting out in the cold more

could actually protect you.

IT improves sleep Let in some cool winter air to

your bedroom, or turn down

the heat on cold nights and you

should sleep better. Most of us

like a toasty bedroom of 21ºC

(70ºF) or higher, but The Sleep

Council recommends that you

keep your bedroom cooler – at

around 16ºC to 18ºC (60ºF to

65ºF) – for a good night’s sleep.

Your core body temperature

is normally lowest at night, but

insomniacs often have a raised

body temperature, so if you

have trouble sleeping, keep your

bedroom cooler. Research also

shows that sleeping in a cooler

bedroom could reduce your

chances of developing diabetes*.

It Helps you lose weight You don’t have to pile on the

pounds in winter as the cold can

actually help you lose weight.

We have brown and white fat in

our bodies, and the brown fat

burns calories more effectively

than the white. Body fat stays

fairly constant in the same

temperature, but Dutch research

has shown brown fat is triggered

into action if you start to breathe

in cold air, so you burn more

calories. Result!

IT Boosts your brain powerDid you know that your brain

functions better in cooler

temperatures? Unsurprisingly,

however, the more studies

that are undertaken, the more

disagreement there is as to what

the optimum temperature is!

IT Can help prevent coughs and colds It’s not the cold weather that

aggravates all our coughs and

colds but the central heating

we use to keep warm. It dries

out the air and the moist

membranes of your lungs,

making your body less able to

fight viruses and other infections.

Leaving a window open helps to

get air movement in the room,

removing airborne viruses. Of

course, being cooped up inside

or on public transport with

people sneezing over us doesn’t

help, either. So always catch

a sneeze with a hanky (not your

hand!), to avoid spreading bugs.

IT Beats the bluesA quick run or walk in the cold

can be an instant mood lifter.

Exercise also strengthens your

immune system, reduces stress

and increases endorphins

(happy hormones). Winter can

be a very sociable time of year,

and getting out and meeting

other people can be really

good for your mental health.

It can help alleviate symptoms

of depression, reduce stress

and increase self-esteem. Of

course, the gift of giving – what

Christmas should really be

about, with charitable thoughts

and actions – can give you

a boost, too. Called ‘helper’s

high’, the simple action of doing

good for others can boost brain

endorphins. So why not get

giving in your community now?

YOU

Flu fightersTackle winter chills and ills by popping into your local

Co-operative store, where you’ll find a good selection

of remedies to help relieve the symptoms of colds and

flu. You’ll also find the ingredients for a natural cough

and cold remedy, such as lemon and honey. This

soothing drink is effective against seasonal

sniffles because of the antibacterial properties

in honey and the high vitamin-C content in lemon.

Squeeze half a lemon into a cup and fill with hot

water, then stir in two teaspoons of honey until

dissolved and drink.

‘Gran made this

time of year so

very special’

Alice is 22 and lives in Bristol. Her

grandmother, Mary, died from a

stroke in 2012.

‘My granny, Mary, loved the festive season and liked nothing better

than a house full of people on Christmas Day. We’re a big family,

and our Christmas gatherings were always at Gran’s right up until

the year before she died. It must have been so much work, but she

thrived on it. And though it was busy, she always made time for me,

my brother and my cousins. When we were small, she took us to

see Santa, and making festive cards and tree decorations remained

a yearly tradition.

‘Gran wasn’t just at the heart of our family but also of her local

community, so everyone was welcome on Christmas Day. She often

invited elderly neighbours or anyone who might otherwise have been

on their own to join us. With a little (but not much!) help from my

mum and her sisters, Gran cooked all our festive food from scratch

– turkey, cranberry sauce, mince pies, pudding and cake. It was

delicious. She even made her own sloe gin – she was famous for it.

My mum and I make Gran’s recipe together every year and the whole

family has a toast to her. I miss my gran at Christmas, but it’s also a

time of year when I feel really close to her and that’s a good feeling!’

‘We’ll never forget our last “Christmas”

with our brave little Tom’

Rebecca, 42, from Southampton, lost her four-year-old son, Tom,

to cancer in November 2013.

‘When it became clear that our son, Tom, was not going to survive

the brain tumour he’d been diagnosed with two years previously,

my husband, David, and I were devastated. By October, time was

running out. Even though Tom was so ill, he’d been desperately

looking forward to Christmas, so we decided to give him a fantastic

early “Christmas”. It was very sad, but it was also, unexpectedly, quite

a wonderful day, too – full of love. Tom’s sisters, Milly, nine, and Lexi,

seven, were amazing, and the memory of the three of them giggling

over their stockings will stay with me forever. We miss our son terribly,

but we have joyful memories of him at this special time of year.’

A NEW YEAR PLANThe New Year is a good time to think about the future and plan ahead.

While no one likes to think about it, planning for your funeral can save

a lot of stress and upset for your family. The Southern Co-operative’s

prepaid funeral plan covers all the essentials and allows for personal

touches. The cost is set at today’s prices and you can choose to pay

over five years, so there’s no financial worry for your family.

‘We miss you so much’

CELEBRATE THEIR LIVESWe are inviting family and friends of loved ones whose funerals

have been held at The Oaks Havant Crematorium and Clayton

Wood Natural Burial Ground to join our memorial services. These

are on Sunday, 6 December at Clayton Wood and Saturday, 12

December at The Oaks, both from 1.30pm to 3pm. Refreshments

will be served after each service. Visit havantcrematorium.co.uk or

claytonwood.co.uk.

IT’S GOOD TO TALKOur Bereavement Centre’s free monthly Coffee, Care and Cake

groups are open to anyone who is coping with the loss of a loved

one. They’re a good way to meet others who are in a similar

situation in an informal, relaxed environment. There’s also the

opportunity to talk to a counsellor over coffee and cake or to arrange

a separate, free counselling appointment. The groups are held

monthly, as below, from 10.30am to 12pm, unless stated otherwise:

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of the month, 1.30pm to 3pm

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first Thursday of the month

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Members share how Christmas brings bittersweet memories

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TO FIND OUT MORE go to funeralcare.co.uk

23

‘We’re on first-name

terms with our customers’

24

Whether on a global scale or in your local store, The Southern Co-operative is making the world a better place

Co-operativeyour caring

Customer Services Assistant, Emily

Palmer, 27, explains why keeping her

regulars happy makes her job

so worthwhile.

‘F ollowing a stint as an estate

agent, I started working at The

Southern Co-operative in 2009. I

disliked the hard sell aspect of working

in property, so my mum suggested I

join The Southern Co-operative family

– she works here, too.

‘My responsibilities vary from day

to day. If I’m not on the till, I’m doing

many different things, from dealing

with store deliveries to sorting out

shopping queries.

‘However, my favourite part of the

job is dealing with customers. A lot of

elderly residents live in the community

local to our store. For many, shopping

at The Southern Co-operative is their

only option. It’s important that our

customers know we appreciate them.

‘I see my role as more than just

zapping things on the till. If necessary,

I’ll help customers take their shopping

out to their cars. Even if they’re just

popping in for a pint of milk, I want

them to know the store is accessible

and that we’re approachable. I work

hard to be friendly and welcoming, and

I’ve lost count of the times our older

customers have told us that if it wasn’t

for us, they wouldn’t be able to remain

in their own homes. We’re helping

them keep their independence.

‘We’re on first-name terms with many

customers, and they often send letters

and cards to thank us. Occasionally,

they’ll write to head office to report on

the good service they’ve received. One

of our customers collects postcards, so

when colleagues go on holiday, they’ll

invariably send him one.

‘As well as working as an estate

agent, I’ve tried other jobs since joining

The Southern Co-operative, including

working as cabin crew with British

Airways, but I always end up returning

here. It’s a fantastic job. There’s no

workplace quite like it!’

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xxxx xxxx

When we think of the

‘community’, we tend to

think of the people who

live and work around us. But The

Co-operative’s One Community

Share Fairtrade campaign hopes

to change that by expanding it on

a global scale.

Set up in partnership with the

Fairtrade Foundation, the initiative

connects Co-operative customers

and members with Fairtrade

producers across the world.

The Co-operative was the first

supermarket to sell fairly traded

Cafédirect coffee in 1992, and

many own-brand products are

Fairtrade. Now we’re responding

to the demand for information

about how making the Fairtrade

choice impacts people’s lives.

‘Our communities are as much

about the people who supply our

food as the people who live near

stores,’ said Brad Hill, Fairtrade

Strategy Manager. ‘We’re aiming

to show customers first-hand

how Fairtrade impacts on the

lives of people in countries such

as Colombia, Kenya and India.’

The Co-operative has created

a website, growingstories.coop,

to act as the community hub for

members and producers to

‘chat’ via social media and

to find out how Fairtrade

supports communities.

Social media is the norm in

the Western world, but some

producers needed help. ‘We

gave participating producers

£1,000 to equip themselves

with IT and resources to get

started,’ explains Brad.

‘While some have access

to the internet and speak

fluent English, others weren’t

online and needed a translator.’

Members can now expect to

see regular posts from Fairtrade

food producers, including photos,

videos and stories. These will

provide a peek into the lives of

the people responsible for the

items in your weekly shop.

When you visit growingstories.

coop and create a message, you

will be in with a chance of winning

a prize and The Co-operative will

put £1 into a fund to be invested

in future projects to benefit

communities beyond Fairtrade.

‘This plastic bag charge is a positive

step towards a safer future for the

amazing wildlife we have in England’

PLAYING fair

It’s in the bag

You may have noticed you’re now

charged 5p for single-use plastic carrier

bags at The Southern Co-operative.

This is due to a new law requiring all large

retailers to charge this amount for bags.

Introduced on 5 October, this initiative

encourages shoppers to re-use bags or

invest in ‘bags for life’.

Plastic bags are convenient but they take a

long time to degrade, can harm wildlife and

litter our towns and countryside. In fact, 70 per

cent of coastal waste comes from carrier bags.

Until the law was introduced, people were

getting through as many as 60 bags a month

each. Similar 5p charges were already in

place in Scotland, Wales and Northern

Ireland, which has led to an 80 per cent

reduction in bag use. Income from the levy

(excluding VAT) goes to good causes, which

we’re wholly behind.

The move has been welcomed by charities

that help the environment. Dr Sue Kinsey,

Senior Pollution Policy Officer for the Marine

Conservation Society (MCS), says: ‘We’re

extremely supportive of these charges. Plastic

bags are easily eaten by marine animals,

particularly turtles, as in the water they look

very similar to their natural prey, jellyfish.

‘The Southern Co-operative will be using

income from this levy to support our new

community programme to be launched

in 2016 – through cash donations to charities

on a local level and regionally across

southern England.

‘The RSPB also supports the new law.

Spokeswoman Kate Prewett says: ‘Birds and

animals can get caught in plastic bags and

suffocate, or choke from eating them. This is

a positive step towards a safer future for the

amazing wildlife we have in England.’

Brad Hill

Fairtrade Strategy

Banana farmer Maria Genao

Manager

Q How long has climate change been

an issue of real concern?

The modern understanding of climate

change goes back to the 1980s, when

people were beginning to make a

connection with greenhouse gases being

released from fossil fuel combustion, and

also the effects of deforestation. The

concerns are around those gases

building up in the atmosphere,

temperatures increasing and climate

change following that.

Q Where do we stand regarding

climate change at the moment?

We are at the very beginning of the

climate-change process, in some ways,

and we expect a lot more pollution to be

released in the coming decades. We

know that we need to limit global

warming to below two degrees. And the

world is not on course to do that. We’re

looking at four or five degrees.

It’s taken a long time to begin taking

some serious action. In most countries,

we are very far from where we need to

be going towards a low-carbon future.

So the Paris meeting is a further

opportunity for the international

community to get onto the right road.

Q Is climate change a global problem?

This is a truly global problem and every

country will feel the consequences. One

of the biggest issues when trying to find

solutions is that countries have very

divergent interests when approaching the

challenge of tackling climate change.

If you look at the Maldives and Russia,

for example – with just modest warming,

the Maldives is set to disappear; while

the Russians, who are sitting on a large

amount of oil and gas and coal, believe

(in my opinion wrongly) that some level

of warming will be good for their country.

For example, that it would open up

Siberia to agriculture.

Q So, reaching decisions that will suit

everybody is going to be a challenge?

Yes. Put those two countries together

into an international negotiation with all

the other members of the United Nations,

try to reach some kind of agreement that

will suit everybody and you realise how

difficult this is. Although all countries will

feel an impact from climate change, and

that impact will be disastrous for some,

each country has a very different set of

concerns. It is a wicked and unique

problem in terms of how you get

co-ordinated action on it.

Q Are there real solutions?

There are solutions and they relate to

energy, transport, agriculture, land use

and waste management, and we can

drastically reduce emissions through

action in all those sectors. I think the

future could be an optimistic one, but

there is no room for complacency and

the science is there to tell us why.

Q Global warming apart, are there

also health implications connected

with climate change?

There is a very strong link to low-carbon

choices and health. Some 29,000

people per year in the UK are estimated

to die prematurely because of air pollution.

And that’s mostly coming from vehicles

– from diesel engines and petrol exhausts.

Q How can we combat this?

One of the things we can do is clean up

the transport system – encourage more

active transport, like walking and cycling,

as an alternative to cars.

Another big part of global climate-

changing emissions is coming from the

livestock sector, so reducing dairy and

meat consumption, and going towards

a more plant-based diet is another

positive way forward.

Regeneration of natural systems

would be another beneficial action. Trees

are, of course, one of the ways in which

you remove carbon from the atmosphere

and we know, too, that exposure to

green space – trees and natural areas

– is enormously beneficial for people’s

psychological wellbeing.

Q Are we doing enough in the UK to

combat the effects of climate change?

No, we’re not. We have had a positive

27

story in reducing our emissions quite

dramatically – I think we’re about 30

per cent below the 1990s, which is

good. What’s happened in recent

months, however, with the UK

Government policy turnaround on eco

energies, I think is disastrous for our

long-term performance on this.

Q What are other countries doing?

Since the climate change treaty was

signed in 1992, the single country that

has done the most is Brazil, by cutting

forest loss in the Amazon in particular.

The Chinese are not averse to seeing the

need for action on this and are putting

more into renewable energy than pretty

much any other country on Earth, and

have adopted quite a strong target that

they’ll be taking to the Paris summit.

Then you have America, which used to

be the poster child for inaction and

intransigence and support for fossil fuels.

But now you see President Obama

putting forward his clean energy plan,

which I think puts the United States in a

leadership position. Some countries in

the European region are also showing

real leadership. The Danes are regularly

getting more than half of their electricity

from renewables, mostly from wind.

Q How do you think our younger

generation feels about the dangers

of climate change?

They’re certainly taking it more seriously

than many of the people who are in

positions of power, who tend to be older.

Young people realise that actually they’re

going to be the ones picking up the

pieces. If you’re under 40, I think you’ve

got a real stake in all of this.

Q Do you think the Paris conference

will be a watershed?

This is the 21st of these meetings and

we still don’t have an agreement that is

up to the job. But, hopefully, Paris will

take us a long way closer to being able

to build a global campaign on this. The

Paris meeting will be a watershed in that

respect, because a lot of people do think

we will come out with commitments and

action that will at least begin to bend

the curve. But it will be the beginning

rather than the end.

OPINION

Climate change is a wicked and unique

problem in terms of co-ordinated action

We talk to sustainability advisor, environmentalist,

campaigner and writer Tony Juniper. He is

hoping that the forthcoming United Nations

Climate Change Conference in Paris will be an

important milestone in the global battle against

the effects of climate change...

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Young people realise they’re going to be the ones picking up the pieces

Teamwork helped clean up part of the

River Itchen in Southampton

Community and charity

It’s been a busy few months of fundraising for our charity partner, Whizz-Kidz, and

cleaning up – TSC-style!

EWS

The Southern Co-operative

colleagues swapped the shop floor

and office desk for their local streets,

parks and beaches during this summer’s

Co-operatives Fortnight, holding a host

of volunteer litter picks as part of the

Big Co-op Clean.

Co-operatives Fortnight, organised

by Co-operatives UK, is an annual event

where co-operatives come together to

show the power of co-operation. This

year, the Big Co-op Clean included

everything from cleaning up parks to

clearing out old clothes for charity.

Our leadership team, including

Chief Executive Mark Smith, filled five

large bin bags with rubbish in just two

hours during a litter pick in Wickham

(Hampshire). Director of Sustainability

and Communications, Gemma Lacey,

who also mucked in, says: ‘Cigarette

litter was the most common item we

picked up, along with disposable cups

and food packaging.’

Fourteen colleagues from our central

support office in Portsmouth joined

the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife

Trust to do a beach clean along the

River Itchen in Southampton. A further

29 colleagues helped children’s charity

Second Chance, weeding and clearing a

pond area at their new site in Titchfield

(Hampshire). And that’s not all – five

Portsmouth store managers litter-picked

at the Portsmouth Summer Show and

three cleaning sessions were also held

by the Bradford on Avon (Wiltshire) store

team in the local area.

Gemma adds: ‘The Big Co-op Clean

isn’t just about picking up litter; it’s

about achieving more by working

together. It might sound obvious, but

co-operating is central to our success

as a co-operative – and we are part

of something much bigger happening

across the UK.’

Cleaner means greener

Colleagues get stuck into

the Big Co-op Clean during

Co-operatives Fortnight

CHARITY

A week of cakes sales, raffles,

competitions, fancy dress and green

theme dress down days across our stores

put the fun into fundraising this summer,

raising over £15,230 for our charity partner

Whizz-Kidz. Each year, colleagues and

customers pull out all the stops for our

charity awareness week; this year our goal

was to raise enough to provide a bespoke

wheelchair for one of Whizz-Kidz’s disabled

children, which costs on average £5,000.

Heather Ridley, Whizz-Kidz’ Corporate

Account Manager, says: ‘Colleagues across

the store and branch network worked hard

to put on a range of creative and ambitious

fundraising activities and we are very grateful

to everyone who got involved.’

Heather adds: ‘Sadly, many disabled

children and young people are unable to

get equipment that meets their needs

from the NHS. Trapped in unsuitable

wheelchairs, they are forced to rely on

others for help and can become isolated,

missing out on opportunities.

‘The £15,230 raised by TSC’s Charity

Awareness Week could provide tailored

powered wheelchairs for three local disabled

children, giving them the freedom and

independence they need to live full and

active lives.’ Visit whizz-kidz.org.uk to find

out more about the charity.

We REALLY enjoy raising fundsArea Operations Manager for The Southern

Co-operative, Gavin Hallam, says: ‘Charity

Awareness Week was a great opportunity

to raise awareness for Whizz-Kidz and the

great work it does to help disabled children.

Store teams dressed up in Whizz-Kidz

green, decorated stores, held raffles, guess

the teddy’s name and sweets in the jar

competitions, and organised cake sales,

which raised more than £15,230!’

plus the PERFECT presentIdeal for Christmas stockings, our KitKat tins

are also raising money for Whizz-Kidz. For

every tin purchased (priced at £5 each), we’ll

donate 50p to Whizz-Kidz as a seasonal

treat. The tins contain four each of KitKat

Chunky bars and four-finger KitKats.

29

treasure seekers Our Bosham store (West Sussex) was

invaded by pirates for a fun weekend

of fundraising, which included a cake

and quiche sale, raffle, games and

Local Flavours tastings. Customers and

colleagues raised a generous £1,630.87

for Whizz-Kidz.

Community care your way

TSC has a reputation for

caring about our local

communities. Last year we

invested more than £630,000 back

into our communities across the

South of England. Having digested

the feedback from more than

4,800 members, who replied to

our community investment strategy

survey, we’re developing a new

approach, tailoring this to what

you told us is most important. Top

issues members would like us to

address include supporting the

local and rural economy, improving

the quality of the local environment,

and helping the ageing society and

young people. We’re piloting our

new strategy, which will launch fully

in the New Year, and will keep you

posted in our stores and online.

What a difference a weeK makes

Our community

Charity partner

32

Fundraising news, meet your new Directors and survey results. Plus, get in touch for how to make the most of your membership

Our 2016 AGM and members’ convention will be

on Thursday, 9 June at the Madejski Stadium

in Reading. As a member of The Southern

Co-operative (TSC), the AGM is your chance to

consider the annual report and accounts, vote on

share of the profits and community distributions,

raise questions with our Board of Directors and

leadership team, as well as learn more about the

business, and meet our partners and your fellow

members. It’s open to TSC members of at least

six months who are over 16. More information

will be available nearer the time in store and at

thesouthernco-operative.co.uk.

DATE FOR YOUR DIARY

Keep up to dateJoin our members’ Facebook group to keep up to date with our news, what’s on and photos. Search ‘The Southern Co-operative members’ to join the group.

We’ve

been

listening Looking after

our customers’

needs is our

top priority and

you have been

telling us that we

need to improve

your choice of

food and drink

in our stores. In

response, we’re

revamping our

whole product

range in all our

stores (nearly 200

across southern

England) over the

coming year to

give you the right

products at the

right price.

members

This year, profits of more than £1.63 million were shared with members, paid

out as 2p in every £1 of qualifying member spend for the fifth successive year.

Our charity partner, Whizz-Kidz, also benefited. The charity received more than

£86,500 as a result of the donation of odd pence accrued at year end on members’ share

of the profits (SoP) statements and the generosity of more than 2,500 members, who

elected to donate their entire SoP to the charity!

With our sales figures for 2014 growing by £23.8 million to more than £350 million,

communities across southern England also benefited. In 2014, we invested more than

£630,000 back into our communities through financial, volunteering and charity fundraising

support. This is in addition to the £282,000 you’ve helped us raise for Whizz-Kidz so far!

We’regivingback

33

MEMBERSHIP NEWS

Register your interest to vote for our Board of Directors in the 2016 election to ensure you can cast your vote; email membersupport@

southerncoops.co.uk or call our membership and customer service team on 0800 652 0124. thesouthernco-operative.co.uk/membership

Meet your new representatives…

GARETH LEWIS

‘As Loss Prevention and Security Services

Manager, I’m responsible for identifying and

reducing operational cash and stock losses

and for delivering security measures and

services – including business wardens,

guarding, CCTV and police liaison. This is

to ensure the safety and protection of our

colleagues, customers and assets.

‘I believe that our co-operative principles

are more relevant now than ever. Our approach

ensures that The Southern Co-operative

(TSC) remains a positive community brand and gives us a key point of

difference from other retailers. One personal objective as a Director is

for us to address how we make TSC relevant to future generations.

‘Outside of work, I have a keen interest in battlefield history. I have

researched the stories and background of TSC colleagues we lost

to enemy action in both World Wars and, with TSC’s support, have

obtained planning permission from Portsmouth City Council to erect

a memorial to them within the cenotaph area at Portsmouth Guildhall.’

ANDY CAST

‘TSC is much more than just a shop; it’s

about being part of the community and giving

something back. It’s about the members, not

just making the maximum for shareholders,

and this resonates with me.

‘In my role as Head of HR Business

Partnering at the University of Southampton,

I work with senior business leaders to

support, advise and coach them on

their business strategies. It is my belief

that businesses are successful because

of the people who work for them. Having previously held various

management roles at John Lewis Partnership for 18 years, I also have

an excellent understanding of the retail sector and am passionate

about customer service.

‘Equality and fairness are important issues to me; I established and

am Director of the charity Holding Hands 4 Equality (hh4e.org). As a

volunteer bereavement counsellor for Cruse Bereavement Care, I offer

support to people struggling with grief.’

Members elected Gareth Lewis and Andy Cast onto our Board of Directors ahead of

our 2015 AGM. Here they tell us a little about their role and what’s important to them

THE RESULTS ARE IN!Thank you to our members who

answered the survey about our

communications with you. We had

nearly 1,000 replies – 70% of which said

we keep them fully or fairly well informed

and that they receive most information

about The Southern Co-operative via

email, reading this magazine and in

store. Email is the preferred method of

keeping you informed (53%) – this has

the added benefit of helping to keep our

printing and postage costs down, so

that we can invest more back into our

business and communities. However,

the survey highlighted the need for us

to be smarter about our communication

with you – online and in more traditional

ways – to keep you better informed

about different aspects of the business

and opportunities to get more involved

if you want to.

GET MORE FROM MEMBERSHIPWe’re changing the way we run events for

our members, as we want to give you more

insight into our business. We also want

to make events more relevant, as well as

appeal to more of our growing membership

across southern England. For example,

given the popularity of our Local Flavours

range, we’re planning to organise visits to

local producers, inviting members from the

surrounding area to meet the people behind

the product and see how local food on the

shelves of your local store is produced. For

more information and to keep up to date, see

thesouthernco-operative.co.uk/membership.

If you’d like to receive email updates with our

latest news, opportunities to get involved with

and events in your area, please send your full

name, email, postal address and postcode and

your membership number for The Southern

Co-operative to membersupport@southerncoops.

co.uk. Don’t worry, we won’t bombard you!

We’re planning

member visits to

meet local producers

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Tessa’s magic mug cake 3 tbsp plain flour, 2 tbsp cocoa powder; ½ tsp baking powder; 2 tbsp

caster sugar; 3 tbsp milk; 2 tbsp vegetable oil; a few drops vanilla

extract; 1 tbsp chocolate hazelnut spread (or peanut butter or jam)

1 Combine all dry ingredients in a medium-sized mug. Mix with a

fork to make sure there are no lumps. 2 Add the milk, oil and vanilla

extract slowly and stir until it forms a cake batter consistency. The

mixture should be quite thick, but still be able to run off the fork.

3 Take a large tbsp of spread of choice and add into the mug. Try

to centre it in the middle of the batter and

keep it separate. Gently cover the spoonful

of hazelnut spread with a little mug cake

mixture. 4 Wipe any stray mixture away

from the side of the cup to stop uneven

cooking. Cook in the microwave on

full power for 1¼-2 minutes, or until

the cake has risen and set in the

centre. 5 Serve on its own, or with

vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Enjoy!

34

We’d love to hear what you have to say, so please get in touch. Send a let ter or email to the addresses on page 3, and see below for joining us online

A new lookAll our refurbishments and new

stores have i-viewer magnifiers to

help visually impaired shoppers

read product labels more easily.

Lucy Kibria visited our new

Cheswick Village store and tells

us: ‘My 14-year-old son, Darin

(pictured), is visually impaired,

so I’m always on the lookout to

see what businesses are doing

to help. It’s really good that The

Southern Co-operative is thinking

of the needs of others as well as

the mainstream population.’

Well done winners!Congratulations to our summer

magazine competition winners.

Celebrating our support for this

year’s Hampshire Food Festival,

Anthony Rana from Bristol won an

overnight stay for two at Winchester’s

Wykeham Arms, dinner at the Chesil

Rectory, plus a hamper of Local

Flavours goodies. Our spa break

at The Hampshire Court Hotel in

Basingstoke went to Joyce Mannell

from Portsmouth. Turn to pages 5

and 35 or go online at thesouthernco-

operative.co.uk/membership for more

giveaways. You need to be a TSC

member to enter – your membership

card number begins with 633174 98.

get in touch

Star bakersEnjoying their new celebrity status, our 2015 Create

& Cook Competition champions, Tessa Crosbie and

Jessica Case, rubbed shoulders with renowned chef, food

writer and TV presenter, Rachel Khoo, cooking on stage at

the Isle of Wight’s Garlic Festival in August!

Read about the girls’ favourite things on page 31.

Join our online communityWe’d love to hear from you on our Facebook page, which is exclusively for

members of The Southern Co-operative (TSC) to share news, give feedback,

find out about upcoming members’ events and suggest ideas for future

events. Search ‘The Southern Co-operative members’ to join.

Tessa and Jessica

with Rachel Khoo

A clean sweep

‘Litter is an ongoing problem for

local councils and we rely on

volunteers to help out. The visit

from The Southern Co-operative

has made a big difference and

we greatly appreciate the team

giving up their time to keep

Wickham tidy.’

Wickham Parish Clerk, Nicki

Oliver, on The Co-op Big Clean

Wheely good

‘Thank you for your kind donation

of a £30 Co-op voucher. We

used it as a raffle prize at our

summer fayre. This was a huge

success and raised over £1,500,

which we plan to spend on two-

and three-wheeler bikes. We

are determined to get as many

children as we can riding bikes

for both health and leisure!’

Ashley Oliver-Catt, Head of

School, Cliffdale Primary

Academy, Portsmouth

Summer reading

‘I recently picked up the summer

issue of your free magazine from

my local Co-op in Priddy’s Hard,

Gosport, and wanted to say

how much I enjoyed it. It’s very

interesting to read what’s going

on locally, particularly as they are

such positive and community-

minded stories.’

Elaine Wood, TSC member

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Exclusively for TSC members

35

Your chance to win a kitchen gadget, water bottle, recipe book, beauty treat and a cycling jacket

IT’S competition time

Guilt-free treatTransform frozen fruit into a

yummy ‘soft-serve’ texture of

ice cream in seconds! The

Yonanas Frozen Dessert

Maker whips a healthy, 100

per cent fruit treat every time.

Worth £49.99 each, we have

two to give away. Visit

yonanas.com.

Prize code:

YOGURT

Just dessertsFree-From Desserts

by Julia Thomas

(£20, Quadrille) is

packed with over 100

tasty dessert recipes

that are all free from

wheat, gluten and dairy.

From Raspberry Crème

Pâtissière Tartlets to

Gingerbread Soufflés and

Banana and Coconut Ice Cream, these

delicious and healthier desserts are so good

that no one will ever guess they don’t contain

lashings of butter, cream and wheat flour.

This book ensures that you can bake your

cake and eat it too! We have five copies to be

won. Find out more about Quadrille’s books

at quadrille.co.uk.

Prize code: COOKBOOK

Lotta bot tle!Staying healthy doesn’t mean sacrificing

taste. Embrace the natural flavours of all

your favourite fruits and vegetables while

refreshing and hydrating your body with

Infruition – 100 per cent natural, fruit-

infusing water bottles! There are five

Infruition water bottles up for grabs, worth

£15.99 each. For more information, visit

infruition.co.uk.

Prize code: WATER

Glow girlsBee Good harnesses the power of British

beehives to create an award-winning

skincare range. The Honey & Propolis 2-in-1

Cream Cleanser (£11.50 for 100ml) contains

moisturising British wildflower honey and

antiseptic British propolis, to remove dirt and

make-up gently but effectively. The Honey &

Wild Flax Daily Moisturiser (£19.50 for 50ml)

also contains British wildflower honey –

a natural source of vitamin E – plus other

natural ingredients

to help make a real

difference to your

skin. We’ve got five

sets up for grabs.

Visit beegood.co.uk.

Prize code: BEAUTY

Home and dryStay dry as you ride out in the colder, wetter

months with the stylish new Ridge Water-

Resistant Cycling Jacket (£24, Halfords).

Made from waterproof fabric, the unisex

jacket features a mesh lining to keep you

cool on your more energetic adventures on

two wheels. Thanks to a reflective logo and

trim, you’ll also be easy to spot on those

long, dark nights. We have one to give away.

Visit halfords.com.

Prize code: JACKET

HOW TO ENTER ONLINE Log onto: thesouthernco-operative.

co.uk/membership to enter, and submit your

details. BY POST Send your name, contact

number, address, membership number for The

Southern Co-operative (TSC) and the relevant

prize code, on a stamped postcard, to:

Giveaways, The Southern Co-operative, 1000

Lakeside, Western Road, Portsmouth, Hampshire

PO6 3FE. Only one entry per TSC member for

each offer. Closing date is 20 January 2016.

TERMS & CONDITIONS

You must be a member of The Southern

Co-operative to enter (check your

membership card). All prizes are subject to

availability. No cash alternatives. Standard

terms and conditions for giveaways, offers

and competitions that appear in The

Co-operative Magazine can be found within

thesouthernco-operative.co.uk/membership.

Our big winter giveaway

christmas - southern co-operative · puddles, and landscaping is designed to attract wildlife and...

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