Shoppers across the south of England have opted to donate more than £37,000 to local causes rather than receive vouchers to spend at their local co-operative.
A total of £37,951 was split between Fareshare – a UK charity network aimed at relieving food poverty and reducing food waste and the Neighbourly Community Fund – providing micro-grants of up to £400 to good causes supporting people affected by the pandemic.
More than £61,000 has now been donated by Southern Co-op and its members to the Neighbourly Community Fund which has helped 100 local causes across the south of England.
The news comes as a further £12,000 has been donated by the regional, independent co-operative to 26 local causes across the south.
The individual donations* of up to £500 from Southern Co-op’s retail stores have been to local causes in Alton, Bexhill, Birchington, Bognor, Bourne, Brighton, Bristol, Chichester, Church Crookham, Denmead, Eastbourne, Eastleigh, Freshwater, Gosport, Lee on Solent, Lewisham, Monkton, New Forest, Portsmouth, Rowledge, Rushmoor, Southampton and Winchester.
Holly Bramble, Southern Co-op’s Community and Campaign Co-ordinator, said: “As a regional co-operative, we’re always doing our best to support our local communities but the latest donations from our members show they also echo these values which is incredibly special.
“A lot of local causes have been deeply affected by the pandemic and people are still trying to claw their way out of devastating situations. So we hope, by all of these donations going to so many local causes, that it will make a difference where it is needed most.”
Local causes near to a Southern Co-op retail store or funeral branch can now apply for the next round of local funding applications.
More information on the funding, which aims to create safer, healthier, greener, and more inclusive local neighbourhoods, can be found at www.thesouthernco-operative.co.uk/love-your-neighbourhood/.
Local causes to receive the latest local funding donations* from Southern Co-op support approximately 310,664 people each week from young children to veterans.
These include: Calls And Visits for the Homebound in Church Crookham, Hampshire, from The Co-operative Food – Church Crookham; Denmead Neighbourhood Watch, Hampshire, from The Co-operative Food – Denmead; Dogs 4 Good – South West Office, Somerset, from The Co-operative Food – Church Road, Bristol; Eastbourne Street Pastors, East Sussex, from The Co-operative Food – Lindfield Road, Eastbourne; Fleet Pond Society in Church Crookham, Hampshire, from The Co-operative Food – Church Crookham; Footbridge Project in Bexhill, East Sussex, from The Co-operative Food – 100 Battle Road, St Leonards; MHA Communities – Gosport and Fareham, Hampshire, from The Co-operative Food – Bridgemary; MHA Communities – Winchester, Hampshire, from The Co-operative Food – Winchester; MHA Communities New Forest, Dorset, from The Co-operative Food – Verwood; MHA Communities Southampton, Hampshire, from The Co-operative Food – Hursley Road, Southampton; MHA Eastleigh Live At Home, Hampshire, from The Co-operative Food – Leigh Road, Eastleigh; MHA Hart & Rushmoor Live at Home Scheme, Hampshire, from The Co-operative Food – Aldershot; Monkton Church of England Primary School, Kent, from The Co-operative Food – Minster; North End Playscheme in Portsmouth, Hampshire, from The Co-operative Food – Twyford Avenue, Portsmouth; Portsmouth Gas Social Bowls Club, Hampshire, from The Co-operative Food – Northern Parade, Portsmouth; Pregnancy Options Centre in Chichester, West Sussex, from The Co-operative Food – Spitalfield Lane, Chichester; River Bourne Community Farm CIC, Wiltshire, from The Co-operative Food – Salisbury; Riverside Youth Club in Lewisham, London, from The Co-operative Food – Orchard Way, Croydon; Rowledge Cricket Club, Surrey, from The Co-operative Food – Rowledge; Saltwater Creations CIC in Bognor Regis, West Sussex, from The Co-operative Food – Hawthorn Road, Bognor Regis; Say Aphasia in Brighton, East Sussex, from The Co-operative Food – Western Road, Brighton; St Faith’s Church in Lee-On-The-Solent, Hampshire, from The Co-operative Food – Lee on Solent; St Nicholas At Wade Parent, Teacher and Friends Association in Birchington, Kent, from The Co-operative Food – Minster; Treloar Trust in Alton, Hampshire, from The Co-operative Food – Alton; UK Harvest in Chichester, West Sussex, from The Co-operative Food – Stockbridge Road, Chichester; and West Wight Men In Sheds in Freshwater, Isle of Wight, from The Co-operative Food – Freshwater.
More than £20,000 of small grants is also available via the Neighbourly Community Fund thanks to members’ donations of their shares of the profits, a £40,000 donation from Southern Co-op and £2,600 raised through voting for the Board of Directors.
To apply, visit www.neighbourly.com/SouthernCoop
