Press release -

Center Parcs teams up with suppliers to deliver more than half a million hot drinks supplies to local causes

Center Parcs has teamed up with wholesale suppliers Thomas Ridley and Henderson Foodservice to distribute more than 525,000 packs of tea and coffee to worthy causes local to each Center Parcs village.

In light of the coronavirus pandemic, all beverage packs have been removed from Center Parcs' lodges to ensure high levels of hygiene and cleanliness. With more than 500,000 packs already on order, a number of these have been donated to children's hospices in the UK for the families and staff who use their services and to Barretstown in Ireland, for the families, volunteers and staff who use their services.

As part of Center Parcs' partnership with Together for Short Lives, each UK village is linked with a local children's hospice. These hospices are supported with a percentage of the total amount of funds raised by the business, as well as with volunteering and awareness-raising activity.

The children's hospices received more than 6,000 packs of tea and coffee in total, with each village also donating around 8,000 packs of tea and coffee to local causes such as food banks, NHS trusts and local fire, ambulance and police services.

Center Parcs Longford Forest's partnership with Barretstown began in 2019 and has already raised more than €100,000. The charity is also supported through volunteering and awareness-raising activity and has seen Center Parcs employees volunteering throughout the coronavirus pandemic.

Martyn Smith, Head of Procurement at Center Parcs, said: "We are so pleased that we were able to work with Thomas Ridley and Henderson Foodservice to distribute the beverage packs to places that would really benefit from them. Removing the packs from lodges was vital to keeping our guests and colleagues safe, so we're thrilled that, instead of being wasted, they'll be going to worthy causes."

Thomas Ridley, who have supplied Center Parcs for more than 30 years and were recognised as 'Supplier of the Year 2018' at the annual Center Parcs Supplier Awards, worked alongside Center Parcs to deliver the beverage packs to the UK hospices.

Steve Lyons, Sales Director at Thomas Ridley, said: "We are proud to help Center Parcs distribute the beverage packs to charities close to the villages around the UK. This donation makes the world of difference to these worthy causes and Thomas Ridley are pleased to assist in making it run smoothly for everyone."

Henderson Foodservice supply Center Parcs' only village in Ireland and worked alongside Center Parcs to deliver 2,400 beverage packs to the Barretstown camp.

Dermot McPeake, Contracts Manager at Henderson Foodservice, said: "Henderson Foodservice are delighted to have been able to support Center Parcs in the redistribution of this stock, especially for such a worthwhile cause."

Categories

  • charity

Notes to Editors

Center Parcs UK have been partnered with Together for Short Lives since 2016. Center Parcs' UK villages are partnered with the following hospices:

  • Center Parcs Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire is partnered with Bluebell Wood Children's Hospice in Sheffield
  • Center Parcs Elveden Forest in Suffolk is partnered with East Anglia's Children's Hospices, who have hospices in Ipswich, Cambridge and Norwich
  • Center Parcs Longleat Forest in Wiltshire is partnered with Children's Hospice South West, who have a hospice in Somerset (Charlton Farm)
  • Center Parcs Whinfell Forest in Cumbria is partnered with Jigsaw Children's Hospice in Carlisle
  • Center Parcs Woburn Forest in Bedfordshire is partnered with Keech Hospice Care in Luton

Contacts

Simon Kay

Press contact Head of PR 01623 821600

Lizzie Jackson

Press contact PR & Media Relations Officer