North West food manufacturer Wrights Food Group has championed a carrier bag fundraiser which has generated thousands for a palliative care charity. Wrights Food Group has raised almost £8k since 2016 for the Douglas Macmillan Hospice (Dougie Mac) through a carrier bag charge in each of its 15 stores in the North West. The initiative brings the company’s 11-year total income generation for the charity to £35,919.
Dougie Mac business and community fundraiser Lauren Beresford, said: “Wrights Food Group has been a long term partner of our charity since 2009 with funds raised reaching just under £36k – money which for example, would cover the cost of almost 300 patients being visited at home by a specialist nurse, 360 outpatient appointments or pain relief for around 2,000 patients.
“The difficult times being faced by all charities mean even the simplest of fundraising acts can make a huge difference to our income and services. The £7,600 that Wrights stores have raised through sales of plastic and paper carrier bags is itself enough to cover the cost of 56 home visits by our nursing team.
“We’re hoping that by demonstrating just how much of a difference these funds can make to us, that more businesses will sign up to do the same.”
Wrights Food Group operates with a workforce of 600 across two sites in Crewe and its 15 high street stores, located across Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire. It’s £30million manufacturing facility produces more than three million savoury products per week including gastro pub pies and ready meals for the retail and hospitality sector. Its vegan range includes a savoury slice, two pies, a vegan sausage roll launched in 2019 and a range of vegan ready meals launched in 2020.
Since first supporting Dougie Mac in 2009, the company has raised just under £36k through staff fundraisers, supporting the charity’s annual ball, provision of auction prizes, product supply and in-store collection tins.
Wrights Food Group’s retail multi-site operations manager, Julie Brereton, said: “Corporate responsibility is very important to us and where we can give back and support our local community we will. Hearing just how valuable the funds raised have been to Dougie Mac is highly motivating for our team and we’d certainly encourage other businesses to reach out and support their communities however they can.”
