Tag: families

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/.

Winter coats needed for Island’s homeless

Posted on by ashleymarsh

A local funeral co-ordinator is hoping to rally the community spirit to help families in need of support this winter.

After a difficult year, Petra Wickens and Tilly Holmberg, Funeral Co-ordinators in East Cowes, are asking Isle of Wight residents to support the work of the local Salvation Army helping those in need.

Petra and her colleagues at the six Isle of Wight branches of The Co-operative Funeralcare have set up collection points for people to drop off donations of sleeping bags, coats, jumpers, gloves/scarves/hats, as well as dry and tinned food and toiletries/hygiene products.

The branches, which are all part of Southern Co-op, will be accepting donations for the Salvation Army throughout the winter, up until the end of January 2021.

Petra said: “This year has been so very difficult for so many, and I am sure there are many individuals and families who have found themselves in a situation that they had not expected. We are hoping to at least offer a little support to all of those in need.

“The Salvation Army does such a wonderful job of ensuring that the homeless are safe and warm over the cold winter months, as well as people who have just fallen on hard times and just need a little help.

“All the goods people donate, will be taken to the Salvation Army outreach centre, where they can be distributed to those in need.”

Southern Co-op, which is the independent, regional co-operative, has six branches on the Isle of Wight branches at 8-10 Ferry Road in East Cowes, The Avenue in Freshwater, The Fairway in Lake, 61 Upper St James Street in Newport, 45 St John’s Road in Ryde, and 76 Regent Street in Shanklin.

The Salvation Army, which has a local branch on the Isle of Wight, offers help to a range of people including the elderly, the young, offenders, drug addicts, blind and disabled people. It also provides food and shelter for the homeless and operates food distribution centres across the country.

To find out more about the Salvation Army, visit www.salvationarmy.org.uk.

Families to benefit from charity quiz

Posted on by ashleymarsh

Quiz goers are being encouraged to dust off their best team names as a new charity quiz is being held in aid of families in Leigh Park.

Being organised by Southern Co-op’s Funeralcare in Leigh Park, colleagues are gearing up for the special night which will stimulate people’s brain cells.

All money raised will be donated to Park Families, in Leigh Park, which provides childcare and education, respite for families and training for individuals and companies.

Throughout the year the charity offers resources for children, free or subsidised access to a range of early education, support services, training, community services and venue access, and helps individuals and families in need.

Rachel Cast, Funeral Co-ordinator at Southern Co-op’s Funeralcare in Leigh Park, said: “Park Families is our current Charity Partner which is part of Southern Co-op’s community engagement programme ‘Love Your Neighbourhood’.

“It is incredibly important in our local area as it is right in the centre of the community and helps children of different ages and abilities. It is a charity that a lot of us can relate to.

“So we are really hoping our first ever charity quiz night will be a success. There will be nibbles provided and a bar for people wanting to quench their thirst. If all goes well, who knows, this might be the first of many!”

The charity quiz night is being held on Friday 12 October at 7.30pm in Leigh Park Working Man’s Club, 439 Dunsbury Way.

Places can be booked via Southern Co-op’s Funeralcare in Leigh Park, at 224 Dunsbury Way, for £10 per team with six people per team.

To find out more, contact Rachel, Tina or Afton on 02392 484499 or email leighparkfuneral@southerncoops.co.uk.

Click here to find out more about Southern Co-op’s commitment to making a difference..