Latest news from Welcome

A flipping brilliant time!

Posted on by Adam Page

Last week saw the highly anticipated annual pancake race in Brockenhurst – and we couldn’t wait to put our competitive pancake-flipping skills to the test!

People of all ages can take part in the contest and winning teams could get their hands on a highly coveted Gold, Silver or Bronze medal – which this year were made from a sustainable wood source (big tick from us!) provided by the event sponsors Friends of Brockenhurst.

Despite the damp weather, crowds gathered in Brookley Road, Brockenhurst to watch the races and cheered on their teams which contained several categories.

Of course, we’re not ones to turn down a challenge, so Welcome stores entered a team and came a highly respectable third place – and earned a bronze medal! We were behind the Balmer Lawn Hotel who retained their first-place position from last year, and the Daisy Bank Cottage Boutique Bed & Breakfast in second place.

The walking relay also did very well with the 50+ Club taking the gold medal and the Brockenhurst WI as runners-up.

We’d like to thank the organisers at Brockenhurst Parish Council’s events committee and the sponsors Friends of Brockenhurst – it was great success and really good fun!

You can now view all our photos from the day on our Facebook page here – don’t forget to give us a like a follow while you’re there!

Challenges, chilly weather and… chinchilla food – a glimpse into the Eastleigh Basics Bank

Posted on by Adam Page

Welcome stores position themselves at the heart of the community – and we understand the part we have to play in giving back to those who shop with us and live and work around us.

Built on challenging times

One of the organisations we work with is the Eastleigh Basics Bank, which started in May 2011 after the Churches of Eastleigh, Bishopstoke and Fair Oak recognised there may be a shortage of essentials in the area following the 2008 crash. As the years went on, it has become apparent the need was far greater than they could have anticipated!

Since 2011, the church-led community foodbank and other basics project has constantly changed and adapted to whatever circumstances the community are facing. Right now, it’s the cost-of-living crisis that is pulling on the Eastleigh foodbank’s resources, but in previous years it’s been recessions and of course the pandemic.

Pre-covid, there was space and time to offer a cup of tea or coffee and someone to chat with clients, whilst they waited for their package to be made up. However, since covid and with the continued growth in demand they’ve had to use that space for ensuring food is packed ready for clients to collect as soon as they arrive. It is one of their top priorities over the coming year to find a way to offer that safe space to talk and have a coffee again as they believe it is as important as the food and essentials itself.

A community resource through and through

People need to be referred to the foodbank by partner agencies; housing associations, councils, social services, NHS, schools, churches and various local charities, many of whom have an ongoing connection with those they refer so understand their circumstances.

Eastleigh Basics Bank is very focused on meeting the physical needs of the community, but they very much see themselves as an emergency support, as opposed to dependency support. That’s why they operate a referral system, so that where possible they can also provide links to services locally that might help people with more long-term solutions to any challenges they might be facing.

Mythbusting

There are several misconceptions surrounding foodbanks that might surprise you.

1. Tinned foods are not always right! At one point, Eastleigh Basics Bank were actually turning away donations of baked beans because they had more than they knew what to do with. They keep an up-to-date shopping list on their website – so if you are considering making a donation, check here first! You might have some of these lurking in your cupboards already.

2. A lot of people who use foodbanks are in full-time work. It’s a sad fact that costs have increased so much, many visitors that use the foodbank are successful in their careers but just don’t quite have enough left to feed themselves, however;

3. Many people rarely have to use a foodbank regularly. There’s a common misconception that people come back week after week and this is rare. In fact, Eastleigh Basics Bank is more likely to hear stories from people who come back to tell them how they’ve got back on their feet and are grateful for the help given when they’ve needed it.

Chilly weather… and chinchilla food?

As you’d expect, the busiest time of year at the foodbank is during the winter. Energy bills increase as lights go on for longer and we switch the heating on – and some people can struggle to cope.

Perhaps what you may not expect, is that feeding humans is a given – but people need to feed their pets too! Once, the Eastleigh Basics Bank was asked if they had any chinchilla food that they could have, but also, odd things are donated on occasion – so when they come in, they are put on a front table for people to help themselves to!

To donate to Eastleigh Basics Bank, you can do so using the PayPal link here, but you can also donate food at the collection points at your local Welcome store.

Delivering on our eco-friendly promises this Big Energy Saving Week

Posted on by Adam Page

In an era where environmental consciousness is paramount, Welcome Stores is making good on its promise to improve sustainability across the business with a few small – but mighty – changes behind the scenes.

This week is Big Energy Saving Week – 17th 23rd January

Big Energy Saving Week is an annual event that makes us all reflect on ways we can all make small changes for the greater good.

We respect and understand the part our business plays in making greener choices – it’s one of the reasons why we’ve taken a sustainability pledge.

Food Waste is one of our biggest focus areas.

Not only is this wasteful from a cost and supply perspective, it seems a shame to use a commodity that we take for granted in such a way, when others can benefit from it.

We keep a close eye on how much is thrown in the bin on a daily basis, with the focus on tighter controls. Our system orders what we expect to supply to customers and has proven an asset in 2020 in keeping food waste to a minimum. In addition any waste which now leaves does so with a new return process to Co-op, General waste and Food wastes are separated on return along with our Cardboard and Plastic recycling which was already in place.

Speaking of plastic recycling…

…You may have also seen our plastic-free stations in our Brockenhurst and Fair Oak stores. This enables customers to only shop for what they need so that it reduces food waste and encourages the re-using of plastic containers. We have also supported a local author and started to set up a plastic awareness module with local schools.

Shopping local

Wherever possible, Welcome stores will always try to source locally supplied produce – not only does this reduce our carbon footprint, but we like to help out other small businesses too!

We went one step further and set up the Welcome Project and if you spot one of our “Welcome Project” labelled items in store, it means you are buying one of our 1,000 sustainable alternative lines which are made up of:

  • 375 locally sourced products
  • 128 plastic-free items
  • 506 environmentally friendly lines – which include recycled, recyclable, responsibly sourced, meat-free, organic and biodegradable

And it doesn’t stop there.

We’ve implemented energy-efficient technologies across our stores, optimising lighting and heating systems to minimise energy consumption. The use of LED lighting, for instance, not only contributes to a significant reduction in energy usage but also provides a more vibrant and aesthetically pleasing shopping environment.

We hope you’ve inspired you to make some of your own small changes this Big Energy Saving Week!

Want to read more about our sustainability pledge? Click here.

Happy New Year!

Posted on by Adam Page

It’s another New Year and a time for celebration. We hope you all enjoyed a little bit of a break over the Christmas holidays and you’re feeling refreshed.

For us, it was just as busy as ever, but as we reflect on another successful year, it’s certainly not been without lots of exciting changes – and challenges!

As ever, we would like to thank all our customers, colleagues, suppliers and community partners for all their support in 2023 – we very much look forward to seeing what 2024 has in store for you all!

Here’s a few highlights from us.

The big changeover!

Earlier this year we were very sad to see Richard and Karen Dance take a step back from the business after more than 30 years. But, we hear that they are very much enjoying the quieter life!

They are still frequent visitors to our Brockenhurst store and do a number of things to support the community. We’d again like to express our thanks and appreciation to Richard and Karen – and we wish them all the very best.

With Richard and Karen stepping back, our six shops became part of the Southern Co-op as they celebrated their 150th anniversary year.

Back then, 30 people attended a public meeting and unanimously agreed to pay one shilling to establish a local Co-operative. Back then, the Co-Operative Society was formed by dockyard workers to tackle exploitation and inequality, and 5 months later, the Portsea Island Mutual Co-operative Society’s first shop opened in Charles Street on 9 May 1873.

There was recently a special edition of the Portsmouth News, which included a pull-out section on Southern Co-op’s beginnings as part of its 150th birthday in May – you can read it here.

Want to join us? If you’re looking for a new role and you’re interested in becoming part of our Welcome store team you can read more here.

Support for Ukraine

In April, Welcome stores teamed up with New Forest for Ukraine to donate 300 disposable barbeques that were removed from our shelves two summers ago.

Disposable barbeques are a huge risk of causing wildfires. They are devastating for ground nesting birds and other animals, and the impact is felt for years. Plus, climate change also means hotter, drier periods are inevitable, and the risk of starting a deadly fire by taking a barbecue out into the woods increases.

While they were no good to us, New Forest for Ukraine said they could make use of them, and gave them to reservists on the front line in Poland and Ukraine who used them to heat their food for daily essential cooking.

You can read more about the donation here.

New Forest for Ukraine was set up to help the war efforts in Ukraine and has since filled 100 trucks with aid, including 3,000 trauma kits, 150 generators and over 10,000 bandages.

Here’s a photo of us handing over the final batch!

Solent Mind support – and thank you

We’ve been working in partnership with Solent Mind for a few years now and they do some incredible work providing mental health support across the region.  

Not only were we thrilled to announce our partnership with them for another year, in August we handed over a cheque for £3,699.71 to help fund some of their vital services.

What’s more, this year we rolled out a partnership with Solent Mind that gives all our colleagues access to mental wellness kits, so that staff can recognise symptoms of poor mental health and how they can access help if they need it.

Being well physically and mentally is so important and as you can imagine at this time of year, keeping well can feel like a tricky task sometimes.

If you need to talk to someone, you can head to the Solent Mind website to find out more about the services available in your community.

Thank you Solent Mind for everything you do, it’s a pleasure to partner with you.

Becoming Plastic-free!

As an eco-conscious business, we were absolutely thrilled that our Brockenhurst store was recognised with “Plastic Free Community” status back in June.

As an initiative of Greener Brockenhurst, the campaign started last year after the idea was put forward at a community meeting and taken forward as a way of encouraging villagers, community groups and businesses to change habits.

It is a great achievement for the village and illustrates that there is a want and a wish to do more to reduce the amount of plastic used given the right encouragement.

Bringing Christmas cheer to Brockenhurst!

While on the topic of Brockenhurst, we thought we’d share a few pics from the fantastically festive Brockenhurst Christmas Fun Evening, an annual tradition that took place this year on Friday 1st December on Brookley Road.

Welcome Stores has had a long association with the event which was jam-packed with local acts like the Brassed Toffs Band, Magic Jack the magician and the Friday Girls, as well as stalls selling a variety of treats on offer from local businesses, activites and fairground rides.

It was great fun watching everyone get into the Christmas spirit as our colleagues set up a stall outside our shop front in Brockenhurst and handed out free mulled wine and mince pies to residents and visitors who came to enjoy all the fun of the festive fayre – and we raised an amazing £200 for our chosen charity, Solent Mind, in the process.

We also teamed up with Plastic Free Brockenhurst to offer a few things for their raffle prize – another way we wanted to collaborate with such an important organisation following Brockenhurst’s plastic-free status!

We’re already looking forward to getting involved again next year – we hope to see you all there! 

Here are some of our favourite pictures from the day.

More shout-outs and thank yous

We must also give a special mention to our wonderful suppliers who create some fantastic products all made locally.

Wishing you all a very prosperous New Year – and watch this space for more exciting news coming your way in 2024!

Got some old batteries? Empty vape cartridges lying around? We’ll take them!

Posted on by Adam Page

The Christmas presents have been unwrapped and if you’re already tired of tripping over all the new toys, don’t worry we feel you! But what happens when toys need new batteries and are you one of the many people throwing away some 600 million batteries every year?

Land down under

In the UK, we throw away enough batteries that laid end to end in a single line would go all the way from London to Sydney, Australia – and back again!

Most of them end up in landfill, but as they contain dangerous chemicals including lead, zinc, lithium and even mercury, these can find themselves entering the environment, polluting the soil and our water supply. Not only can this present hazards to humans, but it is a direct threat to our natural ecosystem and wildlife.

What’s the alternative?

The thing is, when they are used in so many devices and are probably present in every room in the house, what are the alternatives?

If, like most people, you dispose of your single-use batteries in the household rubbish – STOP. You can bring them in to our recycling stations inside our Welcome stores and we will dispose of them safely.

Plus, this year, we’ve also introduced vape recycling centres to our till points – so you can bring those into us as well.

Vape cartridges are just as hazardous as batteries if they are not disposed of correctly.

With the rise in the use of vapes as an alternative to smoking, it is thought around 5 million disposable vapes are thrown away each week once their few-hundred puffs have expired.

Non-profit organisation Material Focus, calculated that around 30 million vapes are purchased each month in the UK which all contain copper wires and lithium batteries, which when disposed of, contain enough lithium to provide batteries for 5,000 electric cars each year.

We “welcome” your disposeables!

As a retailer that is constantly striving to improve its carbon footprint, vape and battery recycling points are right at home in our stores.

It is really important that we all do our bit to protect the environment and help reduce some of the 5 million disposable vales and 600 million batteries going into landfill.

Here’s a picture of what our recycling stations look like and if you don’t find them in your local Welcome store, please do ask a colleague who will happily point you in the right direction – and let’s get the new year off to a cleaner, greener start!

Supplier Spotlight: BottleUp – sustaining the environment one reusable bottle at a time

Posted on by Adam Page

In a world that’s increasingly embracing sustainability and conscious consumer choices, BottleUp is Welcome Store’s latest supplier to be on board and doing its bit for sustainability.

A Sustainable Vision

Emerging in 2019, and just a matter of weeks before the global pandemic gripped the world, BottleUp has not only thrived but also significantly contributed to a greener, more sustainable future.

It’s no secret that bringing single-use plastics under control is high on everyone’s agenda. So, it will be of very little surprise to know that the company was born to provide a reusable, sustainable solution in the “on-the-go” water category and to support a noble cause at the same time.

An attractive position

If you’ve stepped inside your local Welcome store recently, you may have noticed BottleUp’s attractive bottles in our chillers. The company prides itself on being able to change these colours on a whim, according to what the market’s preferences are at the time.

But these are not just a colourful addition to our shelves; BottleUp commits to generating donations for their water partner, Made Blue. Every purchase of a BottleUp bottle contributes to providing clean drinking water to communities in developing countries.

Conscious partnerships

This partnership between BottleUp and Made Blue demonstrates the company’s dedication not only to environmental sustainability but also to social responsibility – the perfect pairing for us here at Welcome Stores.

In fact, BottleUp has found an ideal partnership with Welcome Stores, which aligns perfectly with our sustainability ethos. We’ve done things like reduce single-use plastics, even introducing plastic-free stations to our Brockenhurst and Fair Oak stores, and limit the amount of food waste we produce, as well as using less energy in our stores and recycling more.

We also do our bit to support local businesses, as we realise by doing this we are supporting our local economy, and jobs, and by sourcing local produce we are reducing our carbon footprint.

What sets us apart?

Similarly, BottleUp is produced and filled in the UK. By producing and filling its bottles in the United Kingdom, BottleUp significantly reduces its carbon footprint and supports local industries.

Also, what’s pretty cool about BottleUp is that the bottles are made from sugar cane, replacing traditional oil-based plastics with a renewable resource.

Excitingly, BottleUp has announced a new product for 2024: a 330ml bottle to complement their standard 500ml offering.

Challenges and Solutions

Running a business in the competitive market of sustainable products is not without its challenges.

BottleUp acknowledges this and says its main hurdle is competing with cheaper single-use alternatives. However, they try and combat this by offering competitive pricing and hope that their target market already wants to do more to reduce their carbon footprint – so they focus heavily on the story-telling aspect of their business to communicate the value of their products, making it easier for consumers to make the environmentally responsible choice.

Have you tried BottleUp yet?

To read more about them, head to bottleup.com