Row-a-thon raises money for charity, Wiltshire Treehouse

Local charity, Wiltshire Treehouse, has received an £880 donation from The Midcounties Co-operative after colleagues brought the gym in-store for a bike and row-athon.

A 25-strong team from the Old Town, Crossways and Beachcroft Midcounties Co-operative Food stores, cycled and rowed for 12 hours in tag-team style challenge, clocking up a combined total of 237 miles.

The Midcounties gave away three hampers to customers who guessed the total mileage covered at the fundraising event, which took place at the Old Town store.

The money raised will help Wiltshire Treehouse, the Midcounties’ charity partner in Swindon, to continue to provide bereavement support to young people up to the age of 25. This adds to the £2,208 donated by The Midcounties so far this year through other initiaves including The Midcounties Co-operative Carrier Bag Good Causes Fund as well as bag packing events.

This ongoing support for the charity is part of the Society’s Regional Communities programme, which provides meaningful support for local community groups through volunteering and fundraising.

Dean Mason, Leadership Team Ambassador at The Midcounties Co-operative in Swindon, said: “It was a challenging but fun day for the 25 of us taking part.

"We had plenty of customers giving their encouragement, so the 12 hours went by quite quickly. Colleagues in the area were keen to get involved, including our oldest participant aged 70.

"The work Wiltshire Treehouse does in our community is incredible so we’re proud to be supporting such a worthwhile organisation.”

Sue Ward at Wiltshire Treehouse, added: “This is one of many great initiatives that The Midcounties Co-operative has organised so far this year. These funds help support our groups for young people, children and their families through the loss of a parent or sibling. With support from the Midcounties and other funders, we at Wiltshire Tree House hope to support more families in the coming years.”