John Lewis Exeter in support of local charities
Kate Connock speaks very enthusiastically about working for John Lewis, and having worked for the firm for 22 years she should know what she is talking about. She now sees that extensive experience culminate in her most exciting challenge to date, managing the launch of a very special branch of the brand 'never knowingly undersold'.
However the pride she shows is as much to do with the links John Lewis forges with the local community and how it treats its staff, or partners as it calls them, fairly as it does with the quality products it sells. Despite the mammoth task of pulling all the different elements together to launch one of John Lewis' most cutting-edge stores, Kate found time along with four department managers to lend a hand with garden maintenance at the nearby St Sidwell's Community Centre. The Community Centre is a stone's-throw from the new store, and Ms Connock was "pleased to contribute the amazing work. Many vulnerable people benefit from the Centre, so my department managers and I were delighted to be part of something which has such a positive impact on our community.”
John Lewis will also be running the highly popular scheme already familiar to shoppers at Waitrose, which donates funds to three local charities based on tokens posted by its shoppers. As part of this scheme £3,000 will be distributed between the chosen charities following a three-month period. The first charities chosen to gain in this project will be FORCE (Friends of the Oncology and Radiotherapy Centre) in Exeter, St Petrock’s - an Exeter-based charity helping people who are homeless, or vulnerably housed, lead more settled and fulfilling lives - and balloons (bereavement and loss looking onwards) - a charity that provides community-based support for children, young people and their families from Exeter, Mid or East Devon following the death, or before an expected death, of a significant person in their lives, such as a parent, carer or sibling.
Kate told The Exeter Daily yesterday, "We chose the first three charities to support with advice from the local community, but we will be encouraging our partners to suggest worthy local charities to support."
Further community involvement comes in the form of John Lewis Exeter's support for Age UK Exeter, which will see the retailer provide £125,000 to Age UK, of which Age UK Exeter will be the major beneficiary.
The John Lewis Exeter team, led by branch manager Kate Connock, will work in partnership with Age UK Exeter during 2013 to support and provide opportunities for older people across the city. As well as financial funding, the charity will be supported by John Lewis Partners through volunteering initiatives, which will see them play a key supporting role.
Photo: Matt Austin
