Tag: coronavirus

Gratitude for Adur hub is demonstrated through donations

Posted on by ashleymarsh

Hundreds of everyday essentials have been donated to a Shoreham hub – including nearly 500 rolls of toilet paper – to say thank you for making a difference to Adur residents’ lives.

The weekend delivery to The Gateway Hub in Shoreham included £1,100 worth of food, household products, baby essentials and personal care goods donated from a Southern Co-op funeral care branch.

Shoreham Funeral Co-ordinator Gill Flowers, who arranged the donation, also got to help with an urgent delivery to a family needing baby powder and nappies on her way home.

The donation from The Co-operative Funeralcare with Caring Lady Funeral Directors in Shoreham, will go to help local residents in the Adur community affected by the pandemic.

Debs Stainforth, Co-Chairman at The Gateway Hub, said: “At the start of the pandemic our community pulled together to co-ordinate mutual aid – neighbours helping neighbours. We were then given a space by Shoreham Academy – The Gateway Hub and we are here for everyone in the Adur community who needs support.

“As a community group we rely on people’s donations – and the massive donation of food from Southern Co-op this weekend will make so much difference to people whose income has been affected, jobs lost, pay cut, or having a child and not working due to Covid.

“We have a lot of families and older people who are down to their last tin of beans and are very anxious about food and warmth this cold winter.”

The Gateway Hub helps with food, holiday lunches, kids’ clothes and uniform, befriending isolated people, baby needs, referrals to the Citizens Advice Bureaux, housing help, shopping and prescriptions.

The hub is appealing for help with funding donations which will enable them to buy grocery vouchers and put money on people’s gas and electricity meters.

Gill Flowers said: “We helped to unload hundreds of items at the weekend as well as several bags filled with goods from our sister retail store – The Co-operative Food in Western Road, Hove.

“The pandemic has had such an awful impact on us all in one way or another. It was a really awesome opportunity to see first hand how we have helped our local community and it’s so lovely to be able to help in such a practical way. With this being such a small individual cause it will make such a big difference to our local community.”

The donation was made as part of the regional co-operative’s ‘Love Your Neighbourhood’ programme which aims to create greener, safer, healthier or more inclusive neighbourhoods.

To find out more about Southern Co-op and Love Your Neighbourhood, visit www.thesouthernco-operative.co.uk/love-your-neighbourhood/.

Colleagues get back to nature during lockdown

Posted on by ashleymarsh
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/.