Rubi, 11, and Tiffany, 10, are now the stars of two double-decker trucks which will be delivering fresh food to Co-op depots across the country.
The girls and their families got their first exciting glimpse at the trucks on Saturday 22nd March at the Co-op store in Stirchley, Telford, reporting that it was “so cool”. The trucks are part of Co-op’s ongoing partnership with Barnardo’s, which aims to raise £5 million.
The two girls regularly attend a free weekly service in Telford, provided by Co-op and Barnardo’s, which their parents said had been “amazing” for young people’s wellbeing.
“Rubi just loves it,” said mum Katie, 41. “She looks forward to it every week, and she always comes back happy. As a parent, knowing that she has somewhere to go where she can play, see her friends and meet new people in a safe and secure environment is amazing. There’s nowhere else like CALM for young people.”
CALM (Crafts, Activities, Life Skills and Mindfulness) is a free, weekly service held at Randlay Community Centre for young people aged 10-25. It is one of 20 services set up by Co-op and Barnardo’s across the country to support positive futures, after the partnership found that over a third of young people do not feel positive about their future.*
“Everyone there supports you and they’re always there to talk to you,” said Rubi. “There’s so much to do, like drawing and dodgeball, and it’s just so much fun. It’s an amazing place to go.”
Rubi and Tiffany got to see themselves on the delivery lorries for the first time on Saturday 22 March, when the lorry parked up at Stirchley Co-op in Telford. Visiting families were able to explore the lorry cab, practice making bracelets with Barnardo’s members of staff, and take part in an in-store Easter egg hunt, whilst customers were invited to donate through hamper raffles, bucket collection, and a ‘Guess the Teddy Name’ competition.
“It’s so cool,” said Tiffany. “It’s exciting because I don’t know anybody else who’s done anything like this. I feel famous!”
Tiffany attends the CALM service with her older sister Tamsin and younger sister Happy. Their mum, 42-year-old Kristen, said: “It means a lot to see Tiffany on the truck, I’m so proud of her, and she’s so proud of herself. The CALM service has given her a lot of confidence cause she’s quite a shy girl, but it’s really brought her out of herself. She loves it.”
Robyn Dunn, Co-op Partnership Children’s Service Manager at Barnardo’s, said: “It’s been wonderful to watch young people like Rubi and Tiffany grow in confidence every single week. There aren’t many places that young people can go where they’ll be safe and looked after, but which are also free. Young people have been involved in every part of the service, right from the beginning, so it really is by them and for them. Having a service like this in Telford is so important.”
Telford & Wrekin Borough Councillor, Rachael Tyrell, said: “These are challenging times for young people, not just in Telford. Services like this help build skills like resilience and confidence, and help young people feel part of the community. It can change their lives.”
Thanks to Co-op's logistics partner, Buffaload, the double-height trailers depicting Rubi and Tiffany will now be spotted on motorways across the country, alongside a QR code encouraging donations.
Fiona Smith, Commercial Director at Buffaload Logistics, said: “Buffaload has partnered with Co-op for the past decade, sharing a commitment to positively impact our communities. We're proud to collaborate with Co-op and Barnardo’s on two celebration trailers, supporting their goal to raise £5m for Barnardo’s. We hope the trailers, seen delivering food to Co-op depots nationwide, inspire others to support the needs of young people across the UK.”
For Katie and her family, Co-op's fundraising has been “amazing”.
“Because the service is free, you don’t have to worry about whether or not you, or their friends' parents, can afford it that week,” explained Katie. “There’s no pressure, and anyone can come along, so they meet different people from different backgrounds. To think that people you don’t even know are raising money and donating to support services like this is just brilliant.”
Dave Luckin, Head of Community Partnerships, Funding & Impact at Co-op, said: “Together with Barnardo’s, we’re committed to raising £5m to support positive futures for 750,000 young people across the UK. At Co-op, we believe that young people’s voices must be at the heart of shaping the solutions to the challenges they face. This is something our Co-op member-owners care about and co-operating to fix it is crucial. We’re very proud to hear of the impact that these services are having on the lives of young people in Telford.”
Visit https://www.coop.co.uk/supportyoungpeople to find out more.