Latest news with #DebbieWhite
BBC News
07-07-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Blind, Warwick golfer refuses to be bunkered when aiding charity
A deaf and blind woman who has raised more than £400,000 for charity after she was diagnosed with a rare genetic condition says she hopes her efforts will help to find a cure. Debbie White, 60, from Warwick, experienced hearing and sight loss throughout her childhood, however it was not until she was 21, when her younger brother discovered he had Usher Syndrome type II, that she was also diagnosed. Despite it worsening, Ms White has for more than 30 years raised funds for Fight for Sight, a charity supporting research to treat sight she has also been aiding a charity that helped her rediscover her love for golf despite her condition, swinging her way to raising thousands more. Ms White said her diagnosis explained what she experienced during her early life. "It was a Eureka moment," she explained. "I realised then why I'd knocked glasses of water over, or couldn't see in a nightclub, or missed that goal in hockey. "I could understand why it was all happening, I wasn't just clumsy, there was a reason for it."The 60-year-old added that in the 1980s she had made the decision not to have children as she feared they could have experienced similar struggles, however she stressed that science and research were "far better now"."It's by no means a bad thing to have Ushers and you can live a full life, but at the time there was not the research," she hoped that along with her brother, she would be part of the "breakthrough" in new treatments for Usher Syndrome. Ms White's latest event, a charity golf day held at Stoneleigh Deer Park Golf Club on Wednesday, raised £14,800. She said 20% of the proceeds were donated to England and Wales Blind Golf, a charity which helped her rediscover her passion for the sport while her eyesight continued to deteriorate."I played golf until 2006, but gave up as I lost my competitive edge. I can see to hit a ball, but I can see it's flight. "People would say 'your ball is over there' but 'over there' doesn't mean anything to me."Ms White said playing golf with the support of charity helped her mental health and enabled her to meet lots of new friends. The 60-year-old added that she needed to "up her fundraising game" now that she had two charities to support. Follow BBC Coventry & Warwickshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Asharq Al-Awsat
25-06-2025
- Business
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Britain's Co-op to Stop Sourcing from Israel
British food retailer the Co-op Group will cease sourcing products and ingredients from 17 countries, including Israel, where there are "internationally recognized" human rights abuses and violations of international law, it said on Tuesday. The Co-op, which is owned by its members and trades from over 2,300 food stores across the UK, said it would stop selling carrots from Israel from this month as part of a commitment to no longer stock Israeli goods, Reuters reported. The company's prohibited list follows a board review of the Co-op's role "in building peace". European nations have been increasingly critical of the civilian toll of Israel's military campaign against Hamas since the Palestinian militant group's October 7, 2023 attack on Israeli communities. Other countries on the Co-op list include Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran, Libya and Syria. "The voices of our members have been listened to and then acted upon," Debbie White, chair of the Co-op Group board, said. "As a business, we have a long-standing legacy of doing the right thing, supporting Fairtrade and championing ethical sourcing, and this policy is a natural progression of this." Tesco, Britain's biggest food retailer, does not source products from Israeli settlements within the occupied Palestinian territories. However, along with other UK retailers it does source from Israel in line with government advice. Last month, the independent board of Ben & Jerry's said the conflict in Gaza was a genocide, escalating a bitter feud between the ice cream maker and its longtime London-based corporate parent Unilever.
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Co-op to cease trade with countries identified with human rights abuses
British cooperative group Co-op has decided to terminate trade relations with nations identified with widespread human rights abuses and violations of international law. Co-op members have been consistently highlighting conflict as a major concern through feedback and resolutions in recent years. Heeding this strong message from its members, the Co-op board conducted a review on how the Co-op could contribute to peace. This resulted in the initiation of the campaign: "Hate Divides Communities, Co-operation Builds Them." The review further led to the formulation of a sourcing policy that reflects traditional co-operative values, with a focus on human rights and legal compliance to foster fair trade and support peaceful initiatives. The retailer established three criteria for ceasing sourcing from certain countries: consensus among respected assessments such as those from the UN regarding persistent human rights abuses or international law violations, the potential for Co-op's actions to make a meaningful difference and reduce suffering, and ensuring such actions do not compromise Co-op's commercial success or its adherence to co-operative principles. Efforts will therefore be made to exclude ingredients in Co-op branded products or sell products from 17 identified countries of concern. The list includes specific products exclusively sourced from their origin countries, such as Russian vodka, Malian mangoes and Israeli carrots. These items will be gradually removed from Co-op stores and products from June 2025. Co-op Group board chair Debbie White stated: 'This policy, which has been developed over the past year as a part of our Hate Divides Communities, Co-operation Builds Them campaign, is a clear demonstration of our co-operative values in action, where the voices of our members have been listened to and then acted upon. 'We are committed, where we can, to removing products and ingredients from our shelves which are sourced from those countries where the international consensus demonstrates there is not alignment with what happens in those countries and our co-operative values and principles. The decision, endorsed by the Co-op Group board, aligns with the commencement of Co-ops Fortnight, to be held from 23 June to 6 July in the UK. "Co-op to cease trade with countries identified with human rights abuses" was originally created and published by Retail Insight Network, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Daily Mail
24-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Co-op bans its stores from selling Israeli produce as it begins boycott to 'support peace'
Co-op has banned its stores from selling Israeli produce as it begins its boycott to 'support peace'. The supermarket said that items including carrots will be scrapped from their shelves this month as part of a push to 'stop sourcing relationships with countries where there are internationally recognised community-wide human rights abuses and violations of international law'. They will also stop selling own-brand products that contain Israeli ingredients in a phased approach, starting from June 2025, in a move pro-Israeli activists have branded 'shameful'. Israel is placed alongside 17 countries the store has acted against - including Russia, North Korea, Syria, Somalia and Iran. The Co-op already did not source produce from Israeli settlements in Gaza and the West Bank. It comes following pressure from members, who the chain says have urged them to do all they can to 'advocate and build peace'. The store has based the countries they have blocked assessments from organisations including the UN, who have said they are home to community-wide human rights abuses or violations of international law. They claim they chose actions that will 'alleviate suffering' but not negatively affect their commercially successful co-operative business. Debbie White, Chair of the Co-op Group Board said: 'This policy, which has been developed over the past year as a part of our Hate Divides Communities, Co-operation Builds Them' campaign, is a clear demonstration of our co-operative values in action, where the voices of our members have been listened to and then acted upon. 'We are committed, where we can, to removing products and ingredients from our shelves which are sourced from those countries where the international consensus demonstrates there is not alignment with what happens in those countries and our co-operative values and principles. 'As a business, we have a long-standing legacy of doing the right thing, supporting Fairtrade and championing ethical sourcing and this policy is a natural progression of this. Our Hate Divides Communities, Co-operation Builds Them campaign has once again positioned our Co-op with those who advocate for and build peace.' Last month members of Co-op backed a motion to boycott Israeli products, with nearly three quarters supporting the vote. They urged the board to show 'moral courage and leadership', while the Palestine Solidarity Campaign saying the vote showed members would not support the 'apartheid economy'. Earlier this year, pro-Palestine activists tore avocados, hummus and dates off the shelves in Waitrose as they attacked items produced in Israel. The move was slammed by the Campaign Against Antisemitism, who branded the move 'hateful and divisive' and claimed it constituted intimidation. A spokesperson told MailOnline: 'It is apt that this policy of boycotting the Jewish state was developed as part of a Co-op campaign titled 'Hate Divides Communities', because that is exactly what this policy is: hateful and divisive. 'Boycotts like this have real world effects on the Jewish community, as Jews know from centuries of such ostracism. 'This is shameful from the Co-op, and its terrible reputation in the Jewish community is well earned.'
Reuters
24-06-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Britain's Co-op to stop sourcing from Israel
LONDON, June 24 (Reuters) - British food retailer the Co-op Group will cease sourcing products and ingredients from 17 countries, including Israel, where there are "internationally recognised" human rights abuses and violations of international law, it said on Tuesday. The Co-op (42TE.L), opens new tab, which is owned by its members and trades from over 2,300 food stores across the UK, said it would stop selling carrots from Israel from this month as part of a commitment to no longer stock Israeli goods. The company's prohibited list, which also includes Russian vodka and mangoes from Mali, follows a board review of the Co-op's role "in building peace". European nations have been increasingly critical of the civilian toll of Israel's military campaign against Hamas since the Palestinian militant group's October 7, 2023 attack on Israeli communities. Other countries on the Co-op list include Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran, Libya and Syria. "The voices of our members have been listened to and then acted upon," Debbie White, chair of the Co-op Group board, said. "As a business, we have a long-standing legacy of doing the right thing, supporting Fairtrade and championing ethical sourcing, and this policy is a natural progression of this." Last month, the independent board of Ben & Jerry's said the conflict in Gaza was a genocide, escalating a bitter feud between the ice cream maker and its longtime London-based corporate parent Unilever (ULVR.L), opens new tab.
