New initiative has raised £250 for mental health charity MIND
Colleagues at Co-op Funeralcare on Monkmoor Road in Shrewsbury have been making knitted hearts for bereaved families in the local community while raising money for mental health charity, MIND. The hearts have become hugely popular with grieving relatives as a way for them to feel connected to a loved one that has passed away. People are encouraged to take a pair of hearts from the display basket, keep one with them and place one with their loved one.
The funeral home is now calling on friends, relatives, colleagues and members of the community to help with making these knitted hearts, which are displayed in the home as well as the local Co-op Food Store in Shrewsbury on Monkmoor Road. Through sales of the knitted hearts on Etsy, the team has raised £250 for MIND and aims to raise a total of £500 to go towards the important work that the charity carries out.
Funeral arranger, Helen Williams said: “By creating something as simple as a knitted heart, we are helping many grieving families to feel comfort during a very difficult time. The hearts help them to feel as though they have a connection to their loved one and that their two hearts are forever bonded. We’re delighted that proceeds are going to Co-op’s charity partner MIND, which carries out such important work in local communities.
“We are always on the lookout for volunteers to help us make either crocheted or knitted hearts and have a variety of patterns that can be picked up at the funeral home or shared via email. We encourage anyone who is interested in getting involved to come in and speak to me or one of my colleagues.”
Since October 2019, Co-op has partnered with mental health charities, Mind, the Scottish Association for Mental Health and Inspire to bring communities together to improve mental wellbeing. In that time, Co-op’s colleagues, members and customers have fundraised over £4.5million to support new mental wellbeing services across the UK, all whilst raising awareness and starting the conversation around the importance of mental wellbeing.
