Tag: The Co-operative Funeralcare

Gifts gathered in Shaftesbury for children’s hospital

Posted on by ashleymarsh

An unlikely trio of an armed forces charity, motorbikers, and a funeral director have combined their strengths to make sure children in hospital get some extra special toys this Christmas.

Dan Skinner, one of our Funeral Service Operatives based in Shaftesbury, is currently rallying the troops to take part in a toy run to Dorset County Hospital on Saturday 16 December.

The idea was kicked off at his local meeting of the Royal British Legion Riders and he has already secured £500 of donations from Southern Co-op which runs The Co-operative Funeralcare – Shaftesbury.

The donations will be made to the Kingfisher Ward which is for children and young people aged 0 to 17 years. It has 17 inpatient beds for a variety of specialities and Dan wants to make sure the ward is filled with gifts that all the children can enjoy.

Dan said: “I am currently trying to bring together as many people as I can muster. The more involvement, the more donations and the more the children will benefit.

“The hospital staff have sent me a list of items they would be very grateful for so this donation will make a great difference. I was really taken aback with the quantity of toys donated, it’s really generous.

“We have approached other motorcycle groups as well so I hope we’ll have a good attendance, the idea being that everyone brings something to donate.”

The Royal British Legion Riders branch exists primarily to support the poppy appeal but will also lend a hand in the community when they are able.

But it’s not just charity work that they get involved in. Dan fondly remembers him and his fellow bikers taking part in a surprise birthday visit to a nursing home for a gentleman in his nineties who loved his fast cars and motorcycles.

Dan said: “The nursing home had organised an ice cream van and the sun shone. It really made his day.

“We also do a lot of funeral escorts as well, at the request of families, mostly for veterans who have passed away.”

To find out more about the Dorset branch of the Royal British Legion Riders, visit www.facebook.com/RBLRDorset/ or email dorset@riders-mail.com.

Ryde funeralcare offers residents free bereavement support

Posted on by ashleymarsh

Residents in Ryde, who have experienced grief, are being encouraged to drop in to a local monthly bereavement support wellbeing group.

The free group is led by an experienced bereavement co-ordinator from Bereavement Care – a support service offered by the Island’s The Co-operative Funeralcare branches, including Ryde.

Anyone who has experienced loss is invited to join, regardless of whether they have used services offered by the branches which are part of the regional independent co-operative, Southern Co-op.

Alex Morley​, who looks after the Isle of Wight branches of The Co-operative Funeralcare, said: “Loss and grief affects us all at one time or another. We know how important support is to help us through this – whether that is soon after a loved one passes or years down the line.

“It was more than 20 years ago the Southern Co-op first introduced free bereavement support so it is really special that we can still offer it to people today.”

The next free bereavement wellbeing support group in Ryde takes place on Friday 13 October at Elim Church, 48 Albert Street, Ryde, PO33 2SB, from 10am to 12pm. They usually take place on the 2nd Friday of every month.

Lesley Hadley, Bereavement Coordinator at Bereavement Care, said: “The drop-in well-being support group offers a relaxed and non-judgmental environment where participants can openly express their feelings, share their stories, and find comfort through mutual support.

“It is a place where individuals can meet others who truly understand what they are going through, fostering a sense of community during a difficult time.”

To find out more or to explore other bereavement support available, visit https://bereavementcare.uk/.

Drop-in sessions to support those affected by suicide

Posted on by ashleymarsh

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/

Window displays mark importance of Remembrance Day

Posted on by ashleymarsh

Co-operative colleagues across the south of England are marking Remembrance Day with special displays in their windows.

Southern Co-op’s funeralcare branches, crematoria and burial sites, have created colourful displays with an important message of remembrance.

Remembrance Day 2022 sees the Royal British Legion remembering and commemorating military and civilian service, and the 40th anniversary of the Falklands conflict.

Southern Co-op, the regional, independent co-operative, will be making a donation of £500 to the Royal British Legion to mark the important date.

Cathy Houghton, Funeral and Memorial Consultant at The Co-operative Funeralcare in Rowner, said: “I get a sense of pride when it comes to Remembrance Sunday. My dad, Patrick Divers, served with the Royal Marines Commandos during the Second World War and fought in the Dieppe Raid where 275 commandos lost their lives.

“Luckily my dad survived but sadly died when I was a child. I suppose my dad inspired me to join the forces at age 18 and I was proudly part of the Remembrance parade at Whitehall in 1989 representing the Women’s Royal Naval Service.

“Remembrance Sunday is important to me to remember those who gave up their lives for us… and to especially remember my dear dad.”

Southern Co-op’s colleagues will be marking the important day with a minute’s silence including at its local retail stores.

To find your nearest Southern Co-op funeral branch, visit www.funeralcare.co.uk/our-funeral-directors/location-map/.

Continuity assured as four co-operative funeral branches change hands

Posted on by ashleymarsh

Four Buckinghamshire funeral homes are being revamped after swapping over to new co-operative ownership.

The Co-operative Funeralcare branches in High Wycombe, Hazlemere, Wendover and Aylesbury are now being run by Southern Co-op after a successful move from Midcounties Co-operative.

Both are independently run regional co-operatives sharing a strong ethical ethos with community values and both operate a number of funeral branches under the national co-operative branding.

The acquisition takes the number of Southern Co-op funeral branches to 62 across the south of England.

Steve Pearce, Chief Operating Officer for End of Life Services at Southern Co-op, said: “This is an exciting time allowing us to expand our personalised support, care and experience to even more local communities at their time of need.

“We are also delighted to welcome on-board all of the existing branch colleagues who have chosen to transfer across to our team. We have already extended a warm welcome to them and have been working closely with Midcounties to ensure a smooth changeover.

“We look forward to serving these local communities and families in their times of need and also through our community support programme, Love Your Neighbourhood, which includes financial donations, goods donations and volunteering.”

The changeover will ensure the continuation of a strong, sustainable co-operative offering for Midcounties’ funeralcare customers as well as supporting Southern Co-op’s ongoing expansion of its funeralcare services.

All existing funerals and pre-paid plans will be honoured and carried out as arranged.

Southern Co-op is currently planning to refurbish the branches over the coming months to enhance the experience for new and existing customers.

Phil Ponsonby, Group Chief Executive of the Midcounties Co-operative, said: “Following the recent completion of the transfer of 50 of our funeral homes to Central England Co-op, we’re pleased to have completed the transfer of a further four homes to Southern Co-op. The agreement will also see all four staff from the homes transfer.

“We’re extremely proud and thankful for the commitment of all our funeralcare colleagues, particularly during the last year when they have shown remarkable strength and versatility to support the bereaved in such challenging times.

“The agreement with Southern Co-op means that more than 95% of our existing funeral business remains within the co-operative movement as we continue to strengthen our strategic focus and investment on our travel, food, childcare, utilities and healthcare services.”

Help for the homeless this winter

Posted on by ashleymarsh

Goods that many people take for granted have started the New Year with a smile as they were bundled up ready for Christmas and gifted to residents at a Brighton homeless hostel.

Currently housing 48 men, Glenwood Lodge was given £500 worth of donations from local funeralcare colleagues to give to its residents to open on the special day.

With 2020 proving a difficult year for many charities and local causes, colleagues at Glenwood Lodge appealed for help from The Co-operative Funeralcare with Caring Lady Funeral Directors.

Last year the six funeral branches which are part of Southern Co-op donated a range of gifts including gloves, socks and shower gel to the homeless hostel in the Grand Parade.

Laura Cullen, Sector Operations Manager for Southern Co-op, said: “Last year I remember there was a particularly cold day before Christmas which prompted us to get in touch with several charities in the area to offer support.

“This year has been even more challenging so we didn’t hesitate in gifting what we could to help.

“Thanks to my colleagues in Brighton, Goring, Hove, Peacehaven, Shoreham and Worthing, who are all glad these gifts brought a few smiles on Christmas Day.”

The gifts to the hostel included duvet sets, dinner sets, toasters, kettles, pillows and cutlery.

Darren Rusbridge, Deputy Manager for the Hospital and Homeless Team at Brighton & Hove City Council, said: “The generosity of Southern Co-op really helped us achieve a good Christmas for our vulnerable residents this year. The items donated have certainly helped our residents make their stay at Glenwood more comfortable and welcoming during what has been a difficult year for everyone.

“Our residents were extremely grateful for the gifts of bedding and kitchen equipment as the items are not easy to purchase on a low income. Thanks again from all at Glenwood Lodge.”

To find out more about Southern Co-op’s commitment to its communities, visit www.thesouthernco-operative.co.uk/love-your-neighbourhood.

Online tributes provide essential place to remember loved ones during 2020

Posted on by ashleymarsh

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.

 

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.

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/.

Charities receive £330,000 in memory of loved ones

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Thousands of donations have been made to local and national charities thanks to the generosity of those who have recently lost a loved one.

A total of 7,455 donations were made in 2019 via a free online memorial feature offered by Southern Co-op, the regional, independent co-operative.

The donations total more than £330,000 – an average of more than £44 per donation.

In 2019, 7,455 donations were made totalling £330,824. This is an increase from 2018 when 6,145 donations were made totalling £266,104 – an average of £43 per donation.

Steve Pearce, Chief Operating Officer for funeralcare at Southern Co-op, said: “The charities people chose to donate to can be a reflection of something their loved one held dear to them or a charity that supported them at a time of need.

“We know that people donated to 351 different charities last year but what we can’t quantify is how many people that went on to help. The donations would have made a difference to thousands of people’s lives and this is incredibly special.”

The online memorial feature 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 five charities which had the most donations received between £14,000 and £25,000 each.

These included two regional charities 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.

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