Store: Fratton

Drop-in sessions to support those affected by suicide

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Our local bereavement support team is hosting free virtual drop-in sessions to provide a safe space for individuals impacted by suicide.

With World Suicide Prevention Day being marked on Sunday, Bereavement Care is hosting two sessions on Monday 11 September at 12pm and 6pm, each lasting one hour.

Bereavement Care team can provide free ongoing support for anyone who has experienced loss, regardless of whether they have used services offered by Southern Co-op and its Co-operative Funeralcare branches.

To read more, visit https://bereavementcare.uk/virtual-drop-in-sessions-to-support-those-affected-by-suicide/

National bereaved parents day honoured with memorial services and a charitable donation

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To mark the significance of a national day to support grieving parents, Southern Co-op is holding four separate memorial services as well as donating 100 support boxes for newly bereaved parents.

In conjunction with National Bereaved Parents Day, Southern Co-op will be hosting memorial services on Monday 3 July at 6.30pm to provide support for anyone who has suffered the loss of a child.

These services will be held at The Oaks Havant Crematorium, East Devon Crematorium, Hinton Park Woodland Burial Ground and Funeral Directors, and Mayfields Woodland Burial Ground. The services will be followed by light refreshments.

For those unable to attend in person, the memorial services will also be live-streamed to ensure that individuals across the region can participate and find comfort in the shared experience of remembrance and support.

Holly Bramble​, Southern Co-op’s Community Lead, said: “National Bereaved Parents Day was set up in 2020 by a small charity called A Child of Mine as the founders wanted to bring together anyone affected by the loss of a child to show them that they are not alone.

“It is the charity’s 10th anniversary this year so we wanted to mark this special occasion by supporting their work with an £8,000 donation which will pay for 100 Butterfly Boxes.

“The Butterfly Boxes are a small gesture, but we are certain they will have a positive impact on bereaved parents.”

The Butterfly Boxes offer practical support and solace to newly bereaved parents, and include items such as a teddy bear, calming candle, tissues, healing crystals, mindfulness book, journal and pen, bereavement book tailored to the family’s loss, a pink/blue heart, and a bereaved parent’s pin badge.

National Bereaved Parents Day will take place on Monday 3rd July to raise awareness for all parents who have lost a child of any age, and from any circumstance. This year’s theme is ‘you are not alone’.

Gayle Routledge, Founder and Chief Executive of A Child of Mine, said: “What can I say. We are absolutely delighted that Southern Co-op is supporting our Butterfly boxes. This donation will make a huge difference to our families in their time of need and will give them some practical resources to help them through their grief. We are so grateful to Southern Co-op for supporting A Child of Mine; as a tiny charity we rely totally on the generosity of the community and this donation really will make a huge impact. Thank you so much!”

As part of Bereaved Parents Day, the charity is encouraging people to light a candle at 7pm which Southern Co-op’s branches of The Co-operative Funeralcare will be joining in with by having candles (battery operated) shining in their windows throughout July.

For more information on the memorial services or book your place, contact the individual venue which can be found at https://southern.coop/store-locator. Or for more information contact Southern Co-op’s free Bereavement Care team on 08081 691922 or via https://bereavementcare.uk/.

More than 14,000 donations made in memory of loved ones

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Just under £700,000 was donated to more than 450 charities in 2022 thanks to people donating in memory of their loved ones.

The donations were made via a free online memorials feature offered by more than 60 Southern Co-op funeral care homes.

In the top ten charities which received the largest overall donation last year, three of them were local including Rowans Hospice in Hampshire which had 961 donations totalling £50,853.

Claire McGinty, Client Experience and Aftercare Manager at Southern Co-op, said: “Each and every one of these donations is thanks to an individual who is grieving for a loved one. This is an incredibly generous thing to do and will clearly make a significant difference to all the causes who have benefitted.

“This is possibly even more touching at the moment when a lot of charities are struggling and need all the support they can get. Thank you to all those who donated.”

Over the last three years, a total of £2,082,095 was donated by families across the south of England via the free online tribute service offered by Southern Co-op.

Michelle Merrison, Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity’s In Memory Giving Manager, said: “We would like to thank everyone who has donated in memory of someone special in 2022. We are always deeply touched when people choose to remember us as they remember and celebrate the life and memories of a loved one and it is an honour to be able to continue to provide our vital services to more families in their names.

“The total received will have covered the equivalent of a month of Day Hospice sessions, providing specialist and individual support to help our patients maintain independence, improve their quality of life and manage their symptoms.”

The platform, supplied by MuchLoved, enables donations to any UK registered charity with no subscription fee which means many small charities can receive vital funding thanks to the generosity of your communities choosing to donate in memory of their loved ones.

Ruth Brady, Fundraising Manager for the Andrew Simpson Foundation, said: “The Andrew Simpson Foundation (ASF) was inspired by Olympic Gold and Silver medallist Andrew ‘Bart’ Simpson MBE. Our mission is to transform lives through sailing. Absolutely everything we do is driven by our belief that all young people can excel and succeed in life and work.

“Thank you to all the incredible people who chose to support our work through MuchLoved. The funds raised through MuchLoved enabled the ASF to support over 5,000 young people in 2022.”

Alice Garratt, In Memory & Legacy Fundraiser at Thames Hospice, said: “A dedicated online tribute page can offer great comfort for friends and families to remember and honour a loved one, and fundraising in their memory makes such a difference to support our work.

“We are incredibly grateful to all the families who chose to set up an online tribute page in aid of Thames Hospice last year and a special thanks to Southern Co-op who facilitated tributes which have raised £11,400. This could pay for 253 hours of counselling time, which is six 1 hour sessions for 42 people.”

James Young, Individual Giving Fundraiser at St. Michael’s Hospice, said: “We want to say thank you to everyone who donated in memory of a loved one and helped raise an incredible £16,764.34 for St. Michael’s Hospice.

“These funds will help us provide free compassionate care to our patients and their families across North Hampshire. Thank you so much, we simply can’t do what we do without the kindness and generosity of our supporters.“

Lara Battersby, Communications Officer for Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance, said: “We would like to express our sincere thanks to those who have generously donated in memory of their loved ones to Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance during 2022, raising a total of £604.58 in aid of our life-saving service.

“The charity receives no direct funding from the Government or the National Lottery and relies on the generosity of the public to help raise our operational costs of over £5 million per year, so we are incredibly grateful to receive this heartfelt support.”

Alison Taylor, Corporate Fundraising Manager at Chestnut Tree House and St Barnabas Hospices, said: “Thank you so much to all the staff and customers at Southern Co-op who have supported Chestnut Tree House and St Barnabas House throughout 2022. We wouldn’t be able to carry on providing the care we do without the support from our community.”

Free online support for National Bereaved Parents Month

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Two online support groups are being held in July – National Bereaved Parents Month – to give extra help to those affected by the loss of a child.

Being held by Bereavement Care, in association with Southern Co-op and its local funeralcare branches, the support groups are for anyone who has experienced the loss of a child, regardless of age or circumstance.

National Bereaved Parents Day was set up in 2020 by the charity A Child of Mine as it wanted to bring together anyone affected by the loss of a child to show them that they are not alone.

As well as the support groups, Southern Co-op will be donating £1,000 to the charity to make sure bereaved parents and families get access to invaluable emotional and practical support.

Ali Davison, Bereavement Coordinator at Bereavement Care, said: “Our team works with people everyday to help them through some of the darkest days of their lives. So we know how incredibly important it is to have a safe, confidential environment, with others that may understand what they are going through, coupled with the support from our Bereavement Coordinators.

“We are mindful that the awareness month is likely to evoke a lot of emotions and we want to make sure we have resource in place to support these parents.”

The free Bereavement Care service is offered by Southern Co-op to everyone in its local communities – regardless of whether they have used its services. To find your nearest Southern Co-op funeral branch, visit www.funeralcare.co.uk/our-funeral-directors/location-map/.

The free service is designed to help and support people struggling to deal with bereavement.

The two online support groups will take place on Wednesday 13 July from 3pm to 4pm and Wednesday 20 July from 10am to 11am.

Links can be found via Bereavement Care’s Facebook page or by emailing info@bereavementcare.uk.

For more information on Bereavement Care and the help available, visit https://bereavementcare.uk/ or call 08081 691922.

Memories to be placed on trees of remembrance this Christmas

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Residents are being asked to decorate a Christmas tree with memories this year with the iconic firs being placed in more than 60 locations across the south of England.

Southern Co-op is sending special greetings cards to families they have looked after who have lost a loved one this year. The cards include a pop-out star to let their memories shine bright this Christmas.

They are then being invited to place their stars on the memory trees being put up in Southern Co-op branches of The Co-operative Funeralcare throughout December.

These are based in Alton, Andover, Ash Vale, Aylesbury, Basingstoke, Bishops Waltham, Bognor Regis, Bracknell, Brighton, Camberley, Chichester, Cosham, East Cowes, Emsworth, Fareham, Farnborough, Felpham, Fleet, Freshwater, Frome, Gillingham, Gosport, Havant, Hayling Island, Hazlemere, High Wycombe, Hove, Liss, Newport, Peacehaven, Portsmouth, Ryde, Sandown, Shaftesbury, Shanklin, Shoreham by Sea, Sturminster Newton, Uckfield, Warminster, Waterlooville, Wendover, Whitchurch, and Worthing.

Trees will also be located at The Oaks Crematorium in Havant and East Devon Crematorium in Whimple.

The trees are open to everyone in order to give them the opportunity to write a personal message to someone who is no longer with them this Christmas.

Lesley Hadley, Bereavement Coordinator from Southern Co-op’s free Bereavement Care service, said: “This is a meaningful way to acknowledge the absence of our loved ones, and make a start on creating new rituals and traditions that will include them.

“If you are finding this time of year hard, remember to be kind to yourself. It’s okay to spend time in quiet contemplation if you would prefer that to being ‘jollied along’ by well-meaning friends and family.

“Give yourself the opportunity to do what makes you feel most comfortable, rather than what others think you should be doing.”

Information on free bereavement support is available on www.bereavementcare.uk.

UK’s first fully electric Tesla based hearse lands in the south of England

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Funerals are about to get greener in the south of England as the UK’s first fully electric Tesla based hearse is delivered to a regional, co-operative funeral services provider.

Southern Co-op, which operates just under 60 funeral branches across Berkshire, Dorset, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Somerset, Surrey, Sussex and Wiltshire, has taken delivery of the new, ground-breaking Wisper based on the Tesla Model S.

The hearse will be available at all of The Co-operative Funeralcare branches run by Southern Co-op and will enable families to say goodbye to their loved ones in a more environmentally responsible way.

With state-of-the-art technology and equipment, the entirely silent hearse is zero-emission with full electric operation, measuring around 5.8m in length and has a 220-mile single-charge range capability powered at Southern Co-op sites using electricity from renewable sources.

Steve Pearce, Southern Co-op’s Chief Operating Officer for End of Life Services, said: “This day has been a long time coming with delays caused by the pandemic and waiting for it to be approved for use on the UK’s roads. So this is definitely a time to celebrate and we won’t waste any time in getting it on the road.

“There is only one other existing electric hearse in the UK which is much more compact so we hope this will offer people an elegant alternative which echoes a more traditional appearance. It will also compliment an existing range of other eco-friendly products we offer as we all work together to tackle climate change and make a difference to our environment.”

As well as the hearse, delivered through funeral vehicle provider Coleman Milne, Southern Co-op is also the first funeral business in the UK to take delivery of two new hybrid Mercedes E-Class Limousines and two new converted E class Mercedes hybrid hearses.

These six-door models offer style and comfort with high tech accessories and an electric vehicle powertrain with the ability to run the vehicles in full electric mode for an entirely silent funeral procession.

Mark Smith, Chief Executive at Southern Co-op, said: “It’s important that we all work together to tackle climate change, so we are delighted to now be able to offer our customers the choice of a more environmentally favourable funeral fleet and to take the next step on our sustainability journey together.

“The appetite for change is there within our communities so, by making it easier for loved ones to make more informed choices, people can play their part in making a positive difference to our environment and our communities.”

Southern Co-op is currently working towards its ambitious science based targets to cut direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions from its business by 2030, supported by a climate action pathway of planned activity and an initial investment of £5.8m.

To view Southern Co-op’s long term strategy including its commitment to climate change and responsible business, visit www.thesouthernco-operative.co.uk/our-plan/.

Young people get a step up on the co-operative career ladder

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As the number of young people in employment remains below pre-pandemic levels*, a regional co-operative is working to kickstart youth employment in its stores, head office and funeral branches.

Southern Co-op is preparing to welcome its third cohort of Kickstarters at the beginning of September – a Government scheme for 16 to 24 year olds on Universal Credit who are at risk of long-term unemployment.

The latest joiners will take the number of people on Kickstart placements to nearly 40.

The placements are spread across Southern Co-op’s head office in Portsmouth and The Co-operative Food and Funeralcare locations in Addlestone, Banstead, Bristol, Camberley, Havant, Lake on the Isle of Wight, Newbury, Overton, Portsmouth, Romsey, Basingstoke, Southampton, Staines, Tadley and Wimbledon.

Sarah Kavanagh, Business Transformation & HR Director at Southern Co-op, said: “Unemployment has been higher in younger age groups for some time and unfortunately this has been exacerbated by the pandemic. It is clear to us that they need additional help now to get back into work or to take the first step toward full time employment.

“The Kickstart Scheme means we look for people aged 16 to 24, with the right attitude, and give them the opportunity to learn new skills whilst being paid.

“We expected it to take a bit of time for some to find their feet and get into the routine of work but, after about three weeks, we have been getting some great feedback. One manager described their new starter as ‘100% amazing’, ‘flexible, keen and willing to try anything’.”

The Kickstart Scheme placements are funded by the Government for 25 hours per week for six months and referrals are made on to the scheme via local Jobcentres.

The job placements provide opportunities to young people who may have been overlooked before due to lack of experience.

In order to help them gain as many skills as possible, Southern Co-op’s programme is also giving young adults a chance to gain a Level One Certificate in Employability Skills which is being run by Havant & South Downs College.

People interested in a Kickstart placement should speak to their local Jobcentre. For other vacancies at Southern Co-op, visit https://www.southernco-opjobs.co.uk/jobs/.

*Youth Unemployment Statistics, 15 July 2021: https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN05871/SN05871.pdf

Online tributes provide essential place to remember loved ones during 2020

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With fewer people able to attend funerals in person in 2020, more donations than ever were made online in memory of loved ones, according to figures from a regional co-operative.

A total of £450,766 was donated in 2020 via the free online tribute pages offered by Southern Co-op, which helps support grieving families in Berkshire, Dorset, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Surrey, Sussex, Somerset and Wiltshire.

Despite only a slight rise in the actual number of funerals arranged, this was an increase of over 35% in online funeral donations when compared to the previous year.

The independent co-operative, which operates branches of The Co-operative Funeralcare and Caring Lady Funeral Directors, believes the increase is down to more awareness of charities needing extra support as well as fewer people being able to attend funerals in person.

Steve Pearce, Chief Operating Officer for funeral services at Southern Co-op, said: “Just under 300 charities received donations through our online memorial tributes. The majority of these will have been hit hard by the pandemic so the support is likely to be invaluable.

“Sadly, a lot of the families we supported last year were also affected by the pandemic. It‘s difficult to describe the effect it has had on so many but our funeral co-ordinators have done everything they can to lighten people’s burdens and our bereavement care colleagues have been on hand to offer free counselling which has been vital.

“The fact that people are continuing to think of others, despite their own grief, is remarkable and shows the strength we have as communities working together in times of need.”

There were a total of 11,211 individual donations made in 2020 – an increase from 7,455 in 2019.

People made an average of £40 per donation via the online memorial feature which also allows friends and family to set up a personal tribute page, to light virtual candles, share memories, stories, photos and videos of loved ones.

The top three charities to which people donated the most were Cancer Research UK, Rowans Hospice in Hampshire, and Alzheimer’s Society.

Other local charities in the top ten were Phyllis Tuckwell hospice care in Surrey and Hampshire, which received £23,774 of donations; St Wilfrid’s Hospice in Chichester which received £12,909 of donations; and Mountbatten, end of life support on the Isle of Wight, which received donations of £7,812.

Jonathan Davies, Chief Executive of MuchLoved, the bereavement charity that provides the online tribute platform, said: “2020 was an incredibly difficult year for everyone, not least those bereaved and the funeral industry working tirelessly to care for them.

“We are delighted that Southern Co-op branches were able to use the MuchLoved platform to help those families, and that so much has been raised for such worthy causes.

“Since the start of our partnership together, over £1 million has been raised for charitable causes, which is an incredible milestone to have achieved. We look forward to working together to continue this success in the future.

“Our charity was founded to support bereaved people and help them cope with their grief, and working with Southern Co-op means we can offer this support and care to more people at the most difficult of times.”

For more information about online tributes, visit www.funeralcare.co.uk/tributes-and-donations.

 

Voucher donation boosts Portsmouth partnership

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A donation of vouchers to a Portsmouth charity has helped people affected by the pandemic to stay independent.

With more than 7,860 requests for support in a 19 week period between March and July, HIVE Portsmouth has been helping vulnerable people to stay safe and fed during lockdown.

Funeral colleagues in Portsmouth heard how hard HIVE and its partners had been working and wanted to do something to help. The area’s Sector Operations Manager, Sue Mawson, rallied support from eight of Southern Co-op’s funeral branches and donated £700 worth of the co-operative’s retail vouchers.

Sue said: “The pandemic has had a horrendous impact on so many people’s lives. There have been people who’ve worked their whole lives and have been suddenly made redundant and are in need of help. The vouchers were our way of helping people to get essentials which they were no longer able to afford such as toothpaste or plasters.

“We also collected up school uniform from our colleagues and donated them to HIVE’s swap shop. It was all in a good condition just grown out of and hopefully helped a lot of families in the area as they prepared to go back to school. Thank you to our colleagues in Copnor, Rowner, North End, Eastney, Southsea, Fratton, Paulsgrove and Somerstown who have helped.”

HIVE Portsmouth’s initial emergency response was based around helping vulnerable people to stay safe at home, through the provision of food parcels, essential medicines, prescription collection and welfare check calls.

In conjunction with many partner organisations, HIVE oversaw the provision of over 6,000 hot meals, 3,000 food parcels, 4,500 prescriptions and 15,000 well being checks to those that were anxious, scared or lonely.

Julie Hawkins, Strategic Partnership Lead at HIVE, said: “The vouchers have been wonderful in keeping aside and making easily available when needed. In a couple of cases they’ve been used to obtain shopping for people who were unable to get out. We have concentrated on families to date requiring support and the vouchers have enabled people to remain in control of the food they choose to buy which is important for self esteem and independence.

“We have been overwhelmed by the generosity of others, and it has really felt that the whole city has been supporting the response. We are very grateful for everyone’s contributions and support and know that the recipients of the vouchers will have valued being able to choose their own shopping, which represents a return to ‘normality’ which is great.”

To support HIVE Portsmouth with its online development, Southern Co-op has also made a donation of £10,000.

With national headlines continuing to focus on the economic down turn, HIVE Portsmouth is welcoming further donations to help support those worried about job security, debt, bereavement or shielding.

People are invited to get in touch via www.hiveportsmouth.org.uk or to make a financial donation via Paypal through a button on its website.

For more information on Southern Co-op’s commitment to support local communities, visit www.thesouthernco-operative.co.uk/love-your-neighbourhood/.

Colleagues get back to nature during lockdown

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Pam Beeby based in Fareham

Funeral colleagues in and around Portsmouth have walked, run and jumped nearly 1,000 miles in a bid to beat the lockdown blues.

The area’s manager at Southern Co-op set the challenge for her colleagues to take them outside of their comfort zone. But even she was surprised at how far they could push themselves.

Nine colleagues, based at local branches of The Co-operative Funeralcare, took part and the winner was Sally Cornwell who walked 123 miles in June compared to just four miles in March.

To celebrate their success, a donation of £200 will be made to Portsmouth in the Community – Sally’s charity of choice and two £50 donations will go to two other local charities for the runners up.

Julie Feist with Jeanette Battersby-Wilcox

Sally, who works at branch in Fratton, said: “Not only do I feel better in myself, I also got to spend a lot of time with hubby and boys as they joined me on most walking occasions which was wonderful. I shall continue to do what I have done in June as its much better than going to the gym.”

Even the area’s Sector Operations Manager, Sue Mawson, got involved and exhausted herself by running 180 miles.

James Smith, who works in Rowner, went from walking 10 miles in May to 90 miles in June.

James said: “We have made friends with some dog walkers (and a particularly energetic little terrier), been attacked by spiky bushes, and learned the days that the local mental health facility does its own walks around and about.

“It has definitely helped keep me and [my partner] Dan sane during June to be getting out and about and we expect it to continue, at least while the weather is nice.”

Sue Mawson Sector Operations Manager

Other colleagues who took part were Julie Feist, based in Southsea – who walked 36 miles with her dogs to every single local branch, Pam Beeby, based in Fareham – who completed 131 miles doing 47 different activities and reducing her alcohol intake to zero, Sharon Whitford, based in North End – who walked 150,000 steps, Stacey Wilson, based in Fareham – who dropped a dress size, Jo Pitman, based in Southsea – who walked 100 miles, and Kyela Trivet, based in Gosport – who walked a total of 361,725 steps.

Claire McGinty, Regional Operations Manager at Southern Co-op, said: “All of the participants are winners in my eyes. We all agreed that everyone did amazingly, not only by participating in the challenge, but for doing something out of their comfort zone.

“It was so lovely to read what each colleague did as part of the challenge and to read that friends were made with local dog walkers, families spent more time together and that the local wild life was explored! We are still in uncertain times so to see that this challenge has helped colleagues feel better is just incredible.”

For more ideas on improving your health and connecting with nature, visit www.thesouthernco-operative.co.uk/love-your-neighbourhood/how-you-can-help-your-local-community-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/.