A new Co-op convenience store is opening on the site of an old Hove pub on Friday (15 May).
The Co-op said that the store would be supporting the local charity FareShare Sussex with a £500 donation.
Southern Co-operative has refurbished the old Atlas pub – previously known as the Stadium – and is creating jobs for 20 people in the area.
The store, in Old Shoreham Road, on the corner of Holmes Avenue, will be open seven days a week from 6am-11pm.
FareShare redistributes surplus food to organisations that feed vulnerable groups in the Brighton, Hove and Worthing area.
The charity’s fundraising and communications manager Beth Parry will join store manager Peter Bowler for the official opening of the new store and to receive the £500 donation.
Last month the Southern Co-operative installed a food collection point for FareShare Sussex in its Sussex University store at the request of postgraduate student Cal Corkery, who works at the campus store.
Beth Parry said: “The continued support of the Southern Co-operative, through both their in-store food collection points and financial donations, enables us to reach more communities providing food to the most vulnerable in the area.
“This £500 donation will pay for the delivery of over 3,000 meals to community groups including hostels, day centres, lunch clubs and food banks.”
Southern Co-op’s sustainability director Gemma Lacey said: “It is important that we support those issues that matter to our local communities.
“The Southern Co-operative has provided funding support for food banks and added food collection points in our stores where this has been requested locally.
“This includes our stores in Eastbourne, Haywards Heath, Portsmouth, Chichester and the Isle of Wight, and we’re looking at the opportunity to install a food collection point at our new store in Old Shoreham Road.”
To donate to FareShare, visit justgiving.com/faresharesussex.
The gall of the Co-op leaves a sour taste. This is a company that claimed to Councillors that the Atlas was in a residential area to enable it to get an alcohol licence. This is despite within 200yrds you have Harwoods Jaguar, PC World, BT Fleet Brighton, Majestic wines, Brighton Suzuki, Tools & Fixings, Laptop Hut, Southern Tyre Company, DXL Networks, Halfords, and more.
There are 2 co-op stores within 15 minutes walking distance, in opposite directions so their sustainability quote doesn’t hold water and worst of all we are about to loose our much loved post office (it is combined with a convenience store which pays the overheads) because they openly admitted they put business profits ahead of community wants and needs.
The Southern Co-operative is a Co-operative Society not a company. The clue is in the name. It is owned by thousands of local people in southern England. The comment about ‘they put profits ahead of the community I assume refers to the Cstore/post office, and not the Co-op. The Southern Co-operative (being a co-op) after paying all UK tax, gives all its surplus(profits) to its customer/members and local charities and community groups. As well as 200 convenience store it also runs 50 sub post offices. It only exists to serve its members and local communities. Dont confuse it with companies which exist solely to maximise profits.( mainly for overseas investors after paying minimal UK taxes.)