We are asking Southwell Co-op shoppers to nominate Reach as their chosen charity. The donations will fund wellbeing activities at our Southwell Centre and at Flower Pod, to help clients recover from the social isolation caused by the pandemic.

We have already received a very welcome donation of £1,774 from the fund, but there are more “unclaimed” funds available if Co-op members nominate us. Jane Hufton, Centre Manager at Flower Pod, said; “It is so easy for Co-op shoppers to nominate us, and costs them nothing! With so many fundraising activities being cancelled, and our clients needing more support than ever before, this funding makes a real difference to us.”

The funds have helped Flower Pod support clients like Helen. She has been coming to Flower Pod since it opened in 2011, and worked with other clients to help establish the garden from the start. Sessions at Flower Pod have helped Helen maintain a sense of routine during lockdown. She has joined the Growing Through the Seasons course and will use the fruit and vegetables she grows to cook healthy meals.

Helen’s father has really noticed how Flower Pod has helped Helen engage with community life in Southwell:

“Flower Pod is clearly a happy place where Helen feels an integral part of all that is going on. She calls going to Flower Pod “going to work” where she meets and works with so many different people, who she also sees about town, making her feel part of the local community.

“Attending Flower Pod has played a major part in developing her confidence and self-esteem, and we cannot speak highly enough of the exceptional staff who make it all possible.”

Staff and volunteers have commented on how Helen has become more confident over the last year, as the smaller group sizes at Flower Pod have enabled her to flourish.

Helen said “I’m happy being at Flower Pod, seeing the cats, being in the garden seeing the flowers grow, it makes me happy and cheerful. The volunteers are friends, it is nice to catch up and see what they’ve been doing – we miss each other”.

If you would like to support Reach, please go to https://membership.coop.co.uk/causes/46843 and nominate Reach Southwell and Flower Pod as your cause. When you use your Co-op members’ card a percentage of your spend on Co-op products will be donated to Reach and Flower Pod.