‘Inspiring’ Alison is among award winners

A mother talking to colleagues about the loss of her baby to help raise awareness, was among staff recognised by the Co-Op recently.

Alison Merrison, a customer service assistant at Long Sutton Co-Op, was named the Inspiring Colleague of the Year at its annual awards.
A company spokesman said: “Being inspiring means setting a good example to others. Alison shared the story of the birth of her son Freddie on the colleague app, to raise awareness of baby loss.
“As well as helping to create an inclusive culture and open the door for others who may be facing similar circumstances, she highlighted support resources that are available to colleagues through the society, such as professional counselling.” 
Alison said: “I wanted people in similar circumstances to realise that they are not alone. It can feel like that but there is help out there.
“I’d encourage anyone who is going through it to reach out.
“I found talking about it to the counsellor helped so much and I realised it wasn’t my fault.
“I also found a charity called Theresa’s Tiny Treasures which was a comfort.”
The entire Long Sutton store team was also named as the Trustworthy Colleagues of the Year.
They rallied around after being left without a manager for three months with help from the Holbeach and Whittlesey manager Kim Arnold.
Spalding Travel was named as the travel branch of the year.
Manager Kate Foreman said: “We’re so excited to have won gold again this year after winning gold back in 2017.  It’s such a lovely pat on the back after all our hard work through such a busy year.  
“Our team is brilliant, we all bring so many different but amazing qualities to the table, and we gel so well together.
“We’ve also been established in Spalding for quite some time, so we’ve made so many lovely connections with our community.”