Ascona Group Raises £16,000 For RNLI As We Take Pride In Giving Back to Our Local Communities
We were delighted to present £16,000 to Milford Haven RNLI, raised through our partnership with Nisa Retail and our Making a Difference Locally (MADL) initiative.
Giving back to the communities we serve has always been important to us and for our CEO Darren Briggs, this particular donation has an especially personal connection.
Milford Haven is Darren's hometown, and the Ascona name itself has its roots in the area as it was inspired by the Ascona, a trawler owned by Darren's great-grandfather.
The cheque was presented by Darren to Lewis Creese, Coxswain of the Mark Mason (16-11), the Tamar Class lifeboat operated by Angle RNLI.
During our visit, the Ascona team were given a tour of the lifeboat, giving us an opportunity to see at first hand the conditions the volunteer crew can face when responding to emergencies on the Milford Haven Waterway and beyond.
It was a chance to learn more about the people behind the RNLI's life saving work – and to appreciate just what they are dealing with when they head out on a call.
Darren said:
“Milford Haven is where I grew up and it has always been very close to my heart, so being able to give something back locally means a great deal to me.
“There is also a lovely connection through the Ascona name, which was inspired by my great-grandfather Charles' trawler, which operated between Milford Haven and Lowestoft in the 1950s.
“At Ascona, we believe commercial success should create opportunities to make a lasting difference in the communities we serve, and supporting the RNLI is a great example of that.
“The tour of the lifeboat really brought home the conditions the crew can find themselves working in. Seeing the boat and hearing about what they deal with gives you a completely different appreciation of the job they do.”
Darrel Walters who is a navigator in the RNLI crew and an old school friend of Darren's said:
“It was an absolute privilege to accept this generous donation. I was deeply humbled that Darren chose to support the RNLI, and even more so that he chose to do so through the RNLI crew from his hometown of Milford Haven.”
Darrel was joined by fellow members of the RNLI crew, Lewis Creese, Gareth Thomas, James Findlay, Nathen Houston, Neil Coles, Phil Jones and Craig Jones, as well as Alice Coleman, RNLI Community Manager for Mid and West Wales.
Members of the Milford Haven RNLI Fundraising Group, including Sarah Solomon, Terri Mathews, Evelyn Walters and RNLI mascot Stormy Stan, also joined the presentation.
Making a difference locally
The £16,000 was raised through our Making a Difference Locally (MADL) initiative, which operates through our partnership with Nisa Retail.
Our 70 roadside destinations across England, Wales and Scotland each feature a Nisa convenience store. Through MADL, money generated from purchases of Co-op branded products in participating stores is allocated to local charities and community organisations chosen by the retailer.
It's one of the ways we can make sure that our growth as a business translates into support for the communities around our sites.
Through the Ascona Giving Foundation, we have donated more than £1 million to charities, schools and community organisations since 2017. We have also pledged to raise £1 million for Wales Air Ambulance.
For us, it's about more than simply giving money. It's about being part of the communities we serve and supporting the people and organisations that make a difference every day.
And in Milford Haven, that's a particularly meaningful connection.
