Community work

Community is very important to us. This is why we exist. So naturally we do everything we can to improve the world around us. Our community involvement provides graduates with valuable experience in managing a wide variety of projects that will aid your development in many different ways. The opportunities are incredibly diverse and underline why The Co-operative Group really is different.

Amie Harris

Getting involved in community projects is great and really reminds you of what The Co-operative Group is all about. I’m currently co-leading the Prisoners' Art exhibition, which displays artwork and literature from inmates within the 16 North West prisons as part of a competition. My role has involved liaising with prisons regarding sourcing art for the exhibition as well as external suppliers who we use to frame and transport the art. The project is important on so many levels: it helps boost the confidence of prisoners; helps the public and local businesses get a glimpse of the talent and skills some prisoners have; and overall it’s a very positive part of our crime reduction strategy. Helping to reduce crime in society as a whole helps us as a business.

Florence Cole

One community highlight for me was a higher education day that I helped organise, where 200 local school children descended on our head offices. The event encourages children to think about their futures and aim high. The inspiring day culminated in the children recording their wishes for the future on balloons and releasing them outside our head office. The months of planning were definitely worth the effect the day had on the children involved and raising aspirations fits well with The Co-operative Group's values of social responsibility and solidarity.

Han-Son Lee

I believe that The Co-operative Group has a strong part to play within the community. For me, it is what our values and principles are really all about. I have been responsible for the marketing of The Co-operative Futures Fund, which is a fund that sits with Community Foundation - a registered charity. The Futures Fund is something that has been developed primarily by graduates, and it’s been designed to raise money and award grants to projects designed to aid the Social Inclusion of young people. Our specific aim is 'building opportunities for the people of tomorrow in Greater Manchester'. It’s a modern take on philanthropy that I am really proud to be involved with, not least because we recently gave away £2000 to a cause dealing directly with disability.