Project - COOP MOBILE SERVICES WITH ADDED SOCIAL VALUE

Company

Category

Investor in Community

Project description

Project Aim

In order to address the consequences of the pandemic and to continue to care for its members and consumers, in May 2020 CCU purchased 10 all-terrain mobile retail vehicles and one healthcare vehicle, which it uses to ensure: - regular supply of basic foods to settlements where there are no retail shops or where their functioning is impeded by the difficult economic, health and demographic situation; - provision of specialised medical services to people living in settlements where no such medical services are offered or the social contacts of whom are strongly limited in the pandemic situation. The technical characteristics of the vehicles make them suitable for the mountainous and difficult-to-access settlements, even in bad weather conditions during winter time.

Project Target Group

The project will benefit a wide group of the population as: -cooperative members and their families; -people residing in small and high mountain settlements, whose access to basic foods and household goods at fair prices is difficult; -elderly people, people living alone and people having low purchasing power, who need healthcare and periodical medical supervision, including in settlements, where no such services are provided, and whose access to the big centres is strongly limited.

Project Duration

The broad scope and social impact of the project in different regions are fully aligned with the long-term goals of COOP 2030 Strategy. They are aimed towards the development of the settlements and the needs of vulnerable groups of the population, which CCU have had sustainable commitment to for decades. The pilot mobile COOP outlet was launched in Plovdiv District in 2018, and as of the beginning of 2021 the new mobile shops and the healthcare vehicle have served successfully 10 districts.

Project Activities

The first activity is related to the supply of essential goods to settlements where there are no permanent retail outlets or where their functioning is unprofitable due to the difficult economic, health and demographic situation and ensuring flexible and safe deliveries to the people in the medium-sized and big settlements in a situation of continuing pandemic. CCU has ordered 10 new specialised and all-terrain vehicles, which were delivered in October 2020. Following their registration, equipment and receipt of the required certificates from the Food Agency, they were provided to cooperative organisations – partners of the project. The second activity is related to the provision of mobile healthcare services to more people in more settlements, including such where the required equipment or personnel to provide adequate medical assistance do not exist. The COOP healthcare vehicle ordered by CCU and delivered in 2020 is equipped with emergency medical aid devices for highly specialised diagnostics in the field of cardiology, neurology, endocrinology and internal diseases.

Project Results

The direct outcomes of the project to date include: • Delivery of essential goods to people living in over 80 small and hard-to-reach settlements, on the territory of eight districts in the country. • Reduction of the costs related to the shopping (travel costs to settlements where there are shops, etc.) to a significant number of people having low purchasing power residing in remote and inaccessible settlements. • Support and shopping facilities to people of vulnerable groups (elderly, disabled children, etc.), living in resident type of social services (“Nadezhda” Home for Elderly People, Accommodation Centre of Family Type for Disabled Children, etc.) •More than 280 examinations of member-cooperators and living on the territory of seven cooperative unions by the health team COOR