EDINBURGH Sainsbury’s Local manager, Rick Martin, has announced the Shandwick Place store’s charity of the year is Health in Mind.
The charity was nominated by staff and customers under the company’s Local Charity scheme and a delighted member of the Health in Mind team presented a special bouquet of thanks, made from the store’s own recycled carrier bags.
Store manager, Rick Martin, said: “Health in Mind is based a few doors along from the store so the charity is certainly local, but the partnership goes beyond raising funds; it’s about raising awareness of what the organisation does and how individuals can help through volunteering or by supporting a fundraising event.”
Every year, Sainsbury’s customers and colleagues nominate their favourite under the company’s Local Charity scheme.
The scheme gives customers and staff the chance to work together to support a local cause at the heart of the community over a 12-month period.
Health in Mind community fundraiser, Katherine Sellar, explained that one in four people will experience a mental health issue in their lifetime and how the support from Sainsbury’s will make a difference to the various services provided by Health in Mind, which help people to live the life they want to live.
The services include housing for people with long term mental health conditions; a unique trauma counselling telephone service; an information resource centre befriending services for older people and a suicide prevention project for young men.
Katherine Sellar continued: “We received a really warm welcome from Sainsbury’s Local in the form of a donation of £200 from their Community Grant Scheme but instead of thanking the staff with a card or certificate, some of our service users thought we could do better and they made a very special ‘bouquet’.
“One of our projects is an art and wellbeing group which meets every week in Penicuik and the members created a stunning bouquet from the bright orange Sainsbury’s carrier bags which will brighten up the staff room and be a cheery reminder of how their efforts are helping Health in Mind.”
The charity started over 30 years ago and their their ‘rising sun’ logo can be seen on the special collecting boxes at the till points.
Rick Martin concluded: “The Shandwick Place Sainsbury’s Local opened in November 2012 and since then we’ve endeavoured to vary our fundraising activities but we’d love our customers to let us have their ideas too.”
ENDS
Notes for editors: Health in Mind was set up in the 1980s and was formally known as the Edinburgh Association for Mental Health with the aim of taking over flats which were then rented for ex-patients by the Royal Edinburgh Hospital.
Today, the organisation offers trauma counselling, befriending services, respite for carers, information services and community based services. The organisation delivers services on behalf of NHS Health Boards and some Local Authorities.
MEDIA RELEASE issued by Health in Mind. You too can post your story ideas for journalists (aka press or media releases), on allmediascotland.com. Email info@allmediascotland.com for more information.
Check out twitter.com/nonstopstories.
Check out too twitter.com/allCharitiesPR.
Contact: Doreen Graham
Phone: 0131 243 0137
Email: doreen@health-in-mind.org.uk
Website: http://www.health-in-mind.org.uk
