25000 support for Hayling Island play parks swings into action

A major community support scheme has been announced by The Southern Co-operative Elm Grove store on Hayling Island to donate up to 25000 to Play Parks for Hayling in the year ahead.

Play Parks for Hayling was formed after listening to children at school councils and focus groups asking for the provision of better play equipment. Local campaigners including Hayling East Councillor and Deputy Mayor of Havant Leah Turner WPC Debbie Surridge from Hampshire Police and Cllr for Hayling West Andy Lenaghan launched a fundraising campaign to make this happen. This included a successful bid to be recipients of The Southern Co-operatives 2015 25000 Community Support scheme as Retail Business Manager Pete Raynor explained: Our store on Elm Grove is a long standing business on Hayling Island and were proud of our reputation for supporting good causes and local fundraising. Its great for The Southern Co-operative to be able to help to provide a play facility that local children really want and will benefit from so much.

Cllr Turner who is also Treasurer for Play Parks for Hayling (PP4H) said: Play Parks for Hayling are excited and grateful to be the recipient of the money from this scheme run by The Southern Co-operative. Our project is for the children of Hayling Island and it seems very apt that our local The Southern Co-operative store is to support our endeavours. We hope that Hayling residents will support the store and therefore our project to boost the funds that will be available to PP4H. The money raised will be used for new and exciting play equipment in Mengham Park for the benefit of children of all ages and their families.

WPC Debbie Surridge added: We are overwhelmed by the fantastic support for this campaign. The Southern Co-operative is very community minded and we have a great rapport with the store. Zac a pupil at The Hayling College said This will be great for all ages; Im looking forward to the climbing frame and board rider in the new park! Dylan aged 8 added: The old equipment is old and broken so the new park will be much better and more fun. Im looking forward to playing in the new park on the zip wire and having fun.

Pete Raynor summed up: We are always keen to support local fundraising and good causes and our community support scheme doesnt cost shoppers anything to support. Play Parks for Hayling has really caught local peoples imagination and its a great investment for the Island. Were planning a fun launch event for families in the Spring to keep up the fundraising momentum as well as other fundraising activities together so keep an eye out for more information about this in store. To support the new scheme shoppers simply need to show their membership card for The Southern Co-operative when they shop at its Elm grove store on Hayling Island. If not already a member you can join at thesouthernco-operative.co.uk/membership. The announcement of this new community support scheme follows the success of the stores 2014 campaign; in July The Southern Co-operative presented 20000 to Mengham Junior School to fund a new community minibus and 5000 to Langstone Cutters Gig Club enabling them to buy a boat.

Play Parks for Hayling which needs to raise a total of 80000 for the scheme to succeed is also looking for additional fundraising ideas to reach this goal. The generosity of customers at a recent bag packing day by local children at The Southern Co-operative store raised over 500 towards Play Parks for Hayling. playparksforhayling.co.uk

ENDS

Photo (Jess please add in where named people are standing in photo): The Southern Co-operative has launched a new community support scheme to donate up to 25000 to Play Parks for Hayling. Retail Business Manager for The Southern Co-operative is pictured here with children from The Hayling College and Mengham Junior School Hayling East Councillor and Deputy Mayor of Havant Leah Turner WPC Debbie Surridge from Hampshire Police and Cllr for Hayling West Andy Lenaghan.

For more information about this press release please contact Sophie Boxall Press & Publicity Co-ordinator at The Southern Co-operative on 023 9222 2591 sophieboxall@southerncoops.co.uk.
The Southern Co-operative is an independently owned regional Co-operative Society based in southern England with over 250 community stores and funeral branches across Berkshire Bristol Devon Dorset Hampshire Isle of Wight Kent Somerset Surrey Sussex and Wiltshire plus an online shopping service for daily living aids; www.co-operativeindependentliving.co.uk.

The Southern Co-operative has been awarded a 2* ranking as a benchmark of responsible business from BITC (Business in the Community) for achieving a score of 79% reflecting the work undertaken to develop its new Sustainability Plan.

Community involvement is paramount to the ethos of The Southern Co-operative and includes fundraising for local charities supporting environmental and community owned organisations volunteering and working with local food producers. www.thesouthernco-operative.co.uk