12/10/2012 (press release: OnlinePR) // UK // Lorna Bishop
Independent travel agency The Midcounties Co-op Travel will open its first branch in Leamington Spa with the help of a Coronation Street star this week.
Alan Halsall who plays ‘Tyrone Dobbs’ in the TV soap is expected to draw the crowds when he performs the official launch of the new branch in The Parade at 12 noon on Saturday (8 December)
Fans can meet the popular Corrie Star and get his autograph. There will also be a free prize draw for the chance to win a holiday and special offers.
The new venture will create up to eight jobs and is one of the first concept stores to be branded as cooptravel.co.uk. In addition to a network of 54 travel branches, Midcounties runs an online travel business which has given the new branch its name.
Pupils from Campion School will entertain with live music to add to the celebrations. Little Pioneers mascots from Co-operative Childcare, which runs two former Banana Moon nurseries at Upper Grove Street and Spencer Street in Leamington, will also put in a special appearance.
Natalie Turner, Head of Branches at Midcounties, said: “We are a member-owned and independent business with more than 90 years of travel experience. Our new branch is a great opportunity to serve the local community and because this is also the International Year of Co-operatives we wanted to create a real buzz around the launch.
“We moved our headquarters to Warwick so the area is important to us and opening in Leamington will help to grow our links here. We are excited about welcoming local people and new members and giving them a wider choice and independent advice when it comes to booking their holidays.”
Midcounties has appointed an experienced and knowledgeable team in the branch, headed by Manager Lee Penfold. Assistant Manager Kevin Abbey knows Leamington well as he previously managed another travel branch in the town.
Midcounties has stated its aim to become the leading independent travel retailer in the UK, with co-operative values at its core.
ENDS
Notes to Editors
The Midcounties Co-operative has been named ‘Co-operative of the Year 2012’, recognised for its excellence, innovation and ethics in business by Co-operatives UK.
It has headquarters in Warwickshire, with trading outlets in Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Shropshire, West Midlands, Worcestershire and the surrounding counties.
The Society’s trading groups are food retail, funeral, travel, pharmacy, childcare nurseries, employee benefits and energy. Midcounties is the largest independent co-operative society in the UK and has more than 470 branches and 245,000 active trading members. It is also in ‘The Sunday Times Best 25 Big Companies to Work For’ list for the second year running.
The Society’s mission statement is ‘To be a successful consumer co-operative working towards creating a better, fairer world, and to enhance the lives of our colleagues, members, customers, and the communities we serve’.
For more details call Lorna Bishop at Seal on 0121 616 5800.
Visit www.midcounties.coop
The United Nations General Assembly has declared 2012 as the International Year of Co-operatives, highlighting the contribution of co-operatives to socio-economic development, particularly their impact on poverty reduction, employment generation and social integration. The Year will highlight the strengths of the co-operative business model as an alternative means of doing business and furthering socio-economic development.
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