Tag: family

Memories to be placed on trees of remembrance this Christmas

Posted on by ashleymarsh

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.

Summer Fun Day in Copnor

Posted on by ashleymarsh

Live music, family activities and a Disney princess are all coming together in Copnor for a Summer Fun Day in aid of a local charity.

The whole community is invited to join in with family friendly activities on Wednesday 28 August at The Baffins Pub in 127 Tangier Road, in Portsmouth.

From 1pm there will be live entertainment provided by Lisa Marie from the soul, Motown and pop duo The Estelles – who is also organising the event in her daytime role as a funeral co-ordinator.

Lisa Legg, aka Lisa Marie, works at The Co-operative Funeralcare in Copnor and is holding the event with Sharon Wallen, Leader of Not Forgotten.

The event will be raising money for Not Forgotten which gives local residents over 60 a place to socialise and remove isolation.

The member numbers have grown from five to 20 and activities range from a regular lunch club to day trips and pub quizzes.

The group is open to everyone and Sharon is hoping to raise money to help with transport for those less able.

Lisa Legg, from the Copnor branch which is part of Southern Co-op – the independent, regional co-operative, said: “I first heard about the charity Not Forgotten when I put out an appeal for community groups to get in touch who needed support – something all Southern Co-op colleagues are encouraged to do.

“As soon as I saw what the group does for local people, I knew I had to be more involved. I regularly help out at their lunch group and have donated cushions to make the chairs more comfortable.

“One of the great things about the group is that no one is excluded as even those who are under 60 are invited to join in and volunteer their time to help.”

The Summer Fun Day will include a visit from a Disney princess, Moana, around 2pm when she will be singing and signing autographs – with thanks to Gold events.

There will also be a raffle and a children’s colouring competition.

The event is not ticketed and organisers are asking for a small donation to attend – minimum of £1.

To support the charity’s members, The Baffins Pub is also kindly offering meals to members of Not Forgotten for just £3.

To find out more visit The Co‑operative Funeralcare in Copnor at 65 Tangier Road, call 02392 698362 or email CopnorFuneral@southerncoops.co.uk.

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

Free family fun event in Yateley

Posted on by ashleymarsh

Bats, balls and bouncy castles are all descending on a town nestled between Hampshire and Surrey to bring communities together in a quintessentially English fashion.

The charity cricket match and family fun day is being held on Sunday 14 July at Sean Devereux Park in Yateley.

It is being organised by nearby branches of The Co-operative Funeralcare and associated funeral directors as a way of bringing people together from the community.

The event will bring together local faith groups, Thames Valley Police, Yateley Cricket Club, Frimley Health Charity and Yateley’s Deputy Town Mayor Greg Easterbrook.

For those who are less interested in cricket, there will also be a barbecue and food stalls including ice cream and cakes, a bouncy castle, face painting and other family games with 20 percent of profits being donated to charity.

To raise money for Frimley Health Stroke Appeal and DrugFAM, there will also be a raffle and a silent auction with the chance to bid on a Lenovo 7” tablet, a NOW TV Smart Stick, a bottle of Bushmills scotch commemorating the concord, a round of golf for four at Billingbear Park Golf Course, a pet photography session with Helen Beech Photography and much more.

Jarrod Turner, Team Leader at The Co-operative Funeralcare, said: “When we first came up with the idea of holding a cricket match, we were picturing a small gathering of people from across the area. But there are so many people in our community that wanted to help that it has grown into a day with activities for everyone.

“I am really pleased that it will also be fundraising for two local charities. Frimley Health’s appeal to build a unit which can be used by patients and their families is particularly close to me as my mum had a stroke 20 years ago now and I saw what rehab she had to go through.

“I dare say there will a lot of people at the event who have been affected by strokes as it is quite common. My mum was decorating her house and she collapsed. She died three times on the operating table. She had to give up work but over time she has recovered and now only has a slight slur in her speech. A lot of her recovery is down to the support she had through rehabilitation.”

On the day, cricket matches will start around 9.30am with all other activities taking place throughout the day finishing with a prize giving from 4-5pm.

Local funeral directors supporting the event including Camberley and District Funeral Directors, JB Hall in Wokingham, Lines Bannister in Ascot, and The Co-operative Funeralcare in Farnborough, Fleet, Ashvale, Bracknell and Frimley Green.

To find out more, visit your local branch. Location details can be found here.

£170,000 donated in memory of loved ones

Posted on by ashleymarsh

In the last year, more than 4,200 people have donated money to charity in memory of a loved one via Southern Co-op’s free online memorial feature.

Just under 200 charities have benefited from the contributions as loved ones have asked friends and family to make donations to charities rather than flowers at funerals.

The donations have all been made via Southern Co-op’s memorial webpage, run in partnership with MuchLoved, which launched two years ago in September 2016.

As well as an online donation, the online memorial feature allows friends and family to set up a personal tribute page to light virtual candles, share memories, stories, photos and videos of loved ones.

Steve Pearce, Southern Co-op’s Chief Operating Officer for End of Life Services, said: “Since we launched our online tribute service, we have been blown away by the generosity of those remembering their loved ones. A lot of the chosen charities have meant a great deal to the person who has passed away – such as a hospice or a support service.

“It is really special to see so many local charities being chosen to receive donations in memory of a loved one. We find the tribute pages a really helpful and long-lasting way to help remember someone special.”

In the last year, the average donation made in memory of a loved one has been as much as £40 per donation.

The three charities which had the most donations received more than £10,000 each. These were Cancer Research UK, Phyllis Tuckwell – which cares for terminally ill people and their families throughout West Surrey and part of North East Hampshire, and Rowans Hospice – which offers specialist palliative care to those with life-limiting illnesses in South East Hampshire.

Click here for more information about online tributes.