Ashcroft’s IGA have been given a national award for the local community work done through their charity Let’s Make Better.

At the Independent Grocers of Australia (IGA) Awards of Excellence held on the Gold Coast last week, Ashcroft’s walked away with the 2018 National Community Award.

“It's a really special award to win, to be recognised as doing the best community work in the IGA network,” said Rochelle Ashcroft, who founded the charity two years ago.

“I think it is a feel-good award and I think it is great for our staff who all contribute and our community as well who get behind and support us.”

Let’s Make Better promises every dollar donated goes to those who need it.

And rather than use ‘pushy’ fundraising methods, they simply provide an easy, convenient way for their customers to lend a hand. Most of their money is raised through in-store promotions, donation boxes at checkouts and the IGA Community Chest program, which sees money from the purchase of certain items returned to local community causes.

Customers too, regularly choose to donate their frequent shopper reward dollars to the charity.

“It is about the community and our customers supporting each other,” said Rochelle. 

In two years, Let’s Make Better has raised more than $140,000 for numerous causes in Orange.

The Ashcroft’s also run run similar programs through their stores in Moss Vale, Dubbo and Erskine Park

With the drought biting hard, Rochelle said they have turned their attention to helping our local farmer who are doing it tough this winter.

Both the local Ashcroft’s IGA Supermarkets have recently started collecting money and donated goods to be given out to farmers in need.

“The farmers are our latest thing, because I know how hard it is at the moment,” said Rochelle.

“So what we’ve done is all our donation boxes on our checkouts have been changed over to the farmers and our collection cages, one at each store we’re collecting tins of veggies and toiletries tea and coffee all those kids of things.”