Tag: food

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/.

Baking gets a financial boost in Shaftesbury

Posted on by ashleymarsh

New ingredients have been whipped up for a Dorset support group which has been supporting vulnerable residents for over 10 years.

Colleagues at The Co-operative Funeralcare in Shaftesbury have donated £300 to support cookery classes run by Shaftesbury & District Carers Association.

Hope 2 Bake is one of a number of projects run by the charity working for the benefit of those vulnerable and at risk within the community.

The charity started as a drop-in to provide a safe haven for those who need it and has since expanded to include a wide range of projects to help people learn new skills and enjoy themselves.

Michael Player, Funeral Co-ordinator at the Shaftesbury funeral branch – part of Southern Co-op, said: “Being part of a regional, independent co-operative enables us to support our local community in a number of ways. This charity and the groups it runs make such a difference to people who attend. It is really heartening to see it in action.

“The project assists people with their mental health as it allows them to join together in a safe place and learn new skills. It also helps them to socialise and gain the confidence to get out into the community more. We hope it continues for many years to come.”

The aim of the Hope 2 Bake project is to encourage people to explore and enjoy cooking and creating culinary delights, while also giving them a fun reason to get out of the house.

While the majority of classes are spent baking, light meals such as soups, curries and lasagnes, or savoury snacks like sausage rolls or cheese sticks are also a fun option that participants frequently enjoy.

The classes run from Monday to Thursday 10 to 4pm at Longmead Industrial Estate, Shaftesbury.

Eileen Crew, Founder of Shaftesbury and District Carers, said: “The donation The Co-operative Funeralcare gave us kindly will be used towards the day to day running of our cookery classes. It will also be used for fresh daily ingredients for them to use while cooking.

“We are very grateful for their kind donations and without donations our projects would not be able to continue.

“These projects have been running for over the last 10 years and we would love to be able to still deliver these projects as we feel it has such a positive impact on the community and the individuals that attend.”

To find out more about the classes and other support offered by the local group, visit www.shaftesburycarers.org.

Southern Co-op’s community engagement programme ‘Love Your Neighbourhood’ aims to make neighbourhoods greener, healthier, safer and/or more inclusive.

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

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.