As a new pot of funding opens for applications, co-operative colleagues across the south of England are celebrating their successful store fundraising in 2020.

A total of £120,000 was raised last year at The Co-operative Food stores part of Southern Co-op thanks to the support from customers and local residents.

To show Southern Co-op’s appreciation to the local causes, the total was rounded up to £133,000 so each cause receives a minimum of £500.

The funding will go to 127 separate local causes – each of the stores’ local partners.

Fundraising activities at the stores ranged from colouring competitions and treasure hunts, to raffles and guess the sweets in a jar.

Holly Bramble, Southern Co-op’s Community and Campaign Co-ordinator, said: “Across all of our stores in the south, colleagues and customers raised a massive £120,000 for local partners. This was no mean feat as a lot of the bigger fundraising events had to be cancelled due to the pandemic.

“Despite the pressure a lot of families had to face last year, they have still found time to give generously and make a difference to local causes who have been keeping the communities going.”

Every year, each of Southern Co-op’s local food stores choose a local partner which aims to create greener, safer, healthier or more inclusive neighbourhoods.

With a lot of fundraising cancelled last year, these existing local partnerships will continue into 2021 as part of the ‘Love Your Neighbourhood’ programme.

Emily Aspin, Events Fundraiser at Dorothy House Hospice Care which will receive nearly £3,000, said: “We at Dorothy House are absolutely over the moon to be receiving such a fantastic sum of money from Southern Co-op. This wonderful total is such a testament to the generosity of the customers at the stores on Bath, Mere, Bradford on Avon and Corsham.

“Every day Dorothy House provides palliative and end of life care to anyone who needs it, when they need it most. We couldn’t achieve this vital care without the incredible support of our amazing community. Thank you to the Southern Co-op for being such inspirational leaders and bring on the extended fundraising in 2021!”

Aaron and Gemma from Sophie Rolf Trust – KissyPuppy, which will receive more than £3,100 thanks to fundraising efforts at three Isle of Wight stores, said: “Thank you for the amazing amount raised! Any and every penny donated is amazing and so gratefully received but in these strange times we find ourselves in they mean even more.

“The funding will ensure that we are can continue to provide the services, through our partnership with Mountbatten, which are so important to the islands families. This donation will help no end. We really cannot thank you guys, and your customers, enough.”

Southern Co-op’s Love Your Neighbourhood programme also enables charities and local causes to apply for grants of up to £500 to help sow the seeds to a secure, stronger future for everyone.

Applications are now open for 2021 local funding with more information via southern.coop/.

Local Partners

In Berkshire these include Binfield Preschool, Cancer Research, Eight bells for mental health, National Animal Welfare Trust Berkshire – Trindledown Farm, and Spinney House.

In Bristol and Somerset these include 34th Weston-Super-Mere Scouts, Clevedon and District Foodbank, Conquest Centre, Dorothy House Hospice Care, Julian Trust, Kingshill Friends Association, The Royal Marines Charity, and Vallis First School.

In Devon these include 17th Exeter Alphington Scouts, Dream-a-way, Exmouth Friends in Need, Friends of Bow School and Pete’s Dragons.

In Dorset these include Alzheimer’s Research UK, Diabetes Research & Wellness Foundation, Forest Holme Hospice Charity, Headlines Craniofacial Support, Julia’s House, Poole Hospital – Children’s Ward, Shaftesbury Abbey CE Primary PTFA, St Gregory’s Primary School PTFA, Teddy 20, Three Ells Trust, and Walford Mill Crafts.

In Hampshire these include 1st Alderholt Scout Group, 1st Gosport Scouts, 28th Itchen North Scout Group, Age Concern Cowplain, Alresford Pigs Association, Andover Foodbank, Augusta Park Community Centre, Blossom Development Trust, Brain Tumour Research, Clanfield Junior School, Clever Never Goes – Action Against Abduction, Court Lane Infant Community Association, Diabetes Research & Wellness Foundation, Eastleigh Basics Bank, Enable Ability, Friends of Lyndhurst Surgery, Friends of Four Marks, Friends of Lanterns, Friends of Limington House, Friends of Titchfield School, Gang Warily Scout and Guide HQ, Gateway Alternative Provision, George’s Rockstars, Gosport & Fareham Inshore Rescue Service, Hampshire & Isle of Wight Air Ambulance, Hampshire Search and Rescue, Jane Scarth House – Romsey Cancer Support, League of Friends Romsey Hospital, Lions Community Store, Losing my Sight, Milford-on-Sea C of E Primary School, Motiv8 South, National Coastwatch, Overton Playgroup, Parkside, PLANETS Charity, Portsea Event Group, River Bourne Community Farm, Romsey Young Carers, Rowans Hospice, Southampton Hospital Charity, Society of St James, St Andrews Football Club, St Francis Animal Welfare, Stand Up, The Peak Centre, The Kings Arms, The Point – Tadley and District Community Association, The Warren Youth Club, Tuppenny Barn, Velmore Community Association, Victoria’s Promise, WAMs, Wave 105 Cash for Kids, and Whiteley Wanderers Youth FC.

On the Isle of Wight these include RSPCA IOW, Sophie Rolf Trist – KissyPuppy, Suicide Prevention & Intervention, The Isle of Wight Bus and Coach Museum Ltd, Wessex Cancer Trust, and West Wight Nursery.

In Kent these include Godinton Primary School, KM Charity Team, Lenham Meadows Trust, Minster Day Nursery, The Marlborough School Foundation, and Whistable Street Pastors.

In London these include 5th Bromley Scout Group and Diabetes Research & Wellness Foundation.

In Surrey these include Brightwells Gostrey, Chobham Rugby Club, Farnham Heath End School PTA, Little Oaks Pre-school, Moor House School, Shooting Star Chase, Stepgates Community School, The Children’s Trust, and The Hedgehogs.

In Sussex these include 8th Burgess Hill Scouts, Brent Lodge Wildlife Hospital, Cat Call, Community Transport Sussex. Diabetes Research & Wellness Foundation, Ferring Country Centre, Fordwater School PTFA, Friends Fighting Cancer, Friends of Lavant Primary School, Littlehampton RNLI Lifeboat Station, Love Your Hospital, Martlets Hospice, Norfolk Square Group, Nyewood C of E Infant School, St Wilfrid’s Hospice Eastbourne, Sussex Homeless Support, The Apuldram Centre, The Princess Royal Hospital – Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals charity, Wadhurst Warriors, Wittering District 1st Responders, and You Raise Me Up.

In Wiltshire these include Dorothy House Hospice Care, and John McNeill opportunity centre.

Stores that took part in the fundraising

Berkshire: The Co-operative Food in Binfield’s Forest Road, Lambourn’s High Street, Newbury’s Brummell Road and Pound Street, and Wokingham’s Market Place.

Bristol: The Co-operative Food in Ashley Down Road, Church Road, Longdown Avenue, School Road, Two Mile Hill Road, Wells Road, Whiteladies Road, Bedminster’s North Street, Hanham’s Memorial Road, Keynsham’s Queens Road, and Redcliffe Street.

Devon: The Co-operative Food in Bow’s Burston Cross Road, Exeter’s Alphington Road and Buddle Lane, and Exmouth’s Brixington, Parade and Exeter Road.

Dorset: The Co-operative Food in Blandford’s Salisbury Road, Bournemouth’s Belle Vue Road, East Howe Lane, and Madeira Road, Creekmoor’s Northmead Drive, Parkstone’s Penn Hill Avenue, Poole’s Ringwood Road and Tatnam Road, Portland’s Weston Road, Shaftesbury’s Beaufoy Close, Sturminster’s Station Road, Weymouth’s Chickerell Road, and Wimborne’s Wimborne Road.

East Sussex: The Co-operative Food in Eastbourne’s Beatty Road, Lindfield Road and Seaside, Brighton’s Bramber House at Sussex University, Hove’s Old Shoreham Road, Portland Road and Western Road, Portslade’s Abinger Road, St Leonards Battle Road, and Wadhurst’s Sparrow Green Road.

Hampshire: The Co-operative Food in Abbotswood’s Romsey, Alderholt’s Ringwood Road, Aldershot’s Lower Farnham Road, Alresford’s West Street, Alton’s High Street, Andover’s East Anton Farm Road, Charlton Road, Basingstoke’s Kings Road (South Ham) , Beggarwood’s Broadmere Road, Bishops Waltham’s High Street, Boyatt Wood’s The Parade, Chandlers Ford’s Falkland Court, Church Crookham’s Aldershot Road, Clanfield’s White Dirt Lane, Cowplain’s London Road, Crookhorn’s The Precinct, Denmead’s Hambledon Road, Drayton’s Havant Road, Eastleigh’s Leigh Road, Emsworth’s High Street, Fairoak’s Sandy Lane, Four Marks’s Winchester Road, Gosport’s Dartmouth Court, Forton Road and Palmyra Road, Havant’s St Albans Road, Hayling Island’s Elm Grove, Holbury’s Long Lane, Lee on Solent’s High Street and Twyford Drive, Liphook’s Headley Road, Lyndhurst’s High Street, Milford on Sea’s High Street, Moggs Mead’s The Crundles, North Baddesley’s Seymour Parade, Odiham’s High Street, Overton’s Winchester Street, Portchester’s White Hart Lane, Portsmouth’s Copnor Road, Devonshire Square, Eastney Road, Elm Grove, Fawcett Road, Great Southsea Street, Highland Road, New Road, Northern Parade, The Hard, Tregaron Avenue and Western Road, Romsey’s The Hundred, Warren Gardens and Winchester Hill, Salisbury’s Kelsey Road, Southampton’s Archers Road, City Gateway, Commercial Road and High Street, Southbourne’s Main Road, Stockbridge’s High Street, Tadley’s Franklin Avenue, Titchfield’s The Square, Waterlooville’s Milton Road, West End’s High Street, Westbourne’s The Square, Whiteley’s Yew Tree Drive, Wickham’s The Square, and Winchester’s City Road.

Kent: The Co-operative Food in Ashford’s Loudon Way, Lenham’s Faversham Road, Minster’s Monkton Road, Seasalter’s Faversham Road, Sidcup’s The Oval, and Whitstable’s Cromwell Road.

London: The Co-operative Food in Bromley’s Homesdale Road, Ealing’s Uxbridge Road and Wimbledon’s Ridgeway.

Isle of Wight: Bembridge’s Sherbourne Street, Carisbrooke’s High Street, Cowes’s Mill Hill, Freshwater’s Afton Rd and Avenue Road, Rookley’s Main Road, Ryde’s West Street, Sandown’s Avenue Road, and Shanklin’s Regent Street.

Somerset: The Co-operative Food in Banwell’s Knightcott Road, Bath’s Widcombe Hill, Clevedon’s Old Street, Cotford St Luke’s Graham Way, Frome’s Nunney Road, Nailsea’s Hannah More Road, Norton Fitzwarren’s Morse Road, Pill’s Baltic Place, Portishead’s Port Marine, and Taunton’s Wellington New Road.

Surrey: The Co-operative Food in Addlestone’s New Haw Road, Banstead’s Nork Way, Camberley’s Frimley Road, Chertsey’s Fordwater Road, Chobham’s Bagshot Road, Farnham’s Farnborough Road, Oxted’s Station Road, Rowledge’s The Square, and Wrecclesham’s Wrecclesham Road.

West Sussex: The Co-operative Food in Bognor Regis’s Hawthorn Road, Bosham’s Delling Lane and Station Road, Burgess Hill’s Junction Road and London Road, Chichester’s Bognor Road, Lavant Road, Oliver Whitby Road, Spitalfield Lane and Stockbridge Road, East Preston’s Station Parade, East Wittering’s Cakeham Lane, Ferring’s Ferring Street, Haywards Heath’s Franklynn Road, and Yapton’s Main Road.

Wiltshire: The Co-operative Food in Bradford on Avon’s Winsley Road, Corsham’s Macey Drive, Mere’s The Square, and Salisbury’s Old Sarum.