Tell Co-op what you couldn’t live without in your local community - £300 voucher to be won! NOW CLOSED

[AmeliaMumsnet]

Whether it’s meeting new friends, amenities for the kids, or clubs and charities, it’s so important to make the most of the community you live in. Co-op want to know what you couldn’t live without where you live. Whether it’s where you are now, or the place that really feels like home, which clubs, activities, or services really make a difference to you in your local area?

Here’s what the Co-op have said: ‘Local community values are so important to us - that’s why we give 1% of everything our members spend on selected Co-op branded products and services from Co-op Group businesses, including food stores and funeral homes, to local initiatives in your community. So far, we’ve paid out £9 million to over 4,000 local causes! You can find out more, and sign up to become a member, here.’

You can read the Co-op’s membership T&Cs here.

Whether it’s a local event that brings everyone together, an after school sports club that gets your DC outdoors and active, or even just the beautiful natural scenery, Co-op want to know what really matters to you locally. So tell them about those local services, amenities or events that you just couldn't live without by posting in the thread below.

Every MNer who posts on this thread will be entered into a prize draw to win a £300 voucher of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck,

MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs apply

I wouldn't live without our local mere, It has a park, dog walking and ducks There is also a lot of organised days that the adults and kids enjoy, The easter egg hunt, regatta, carnival and so much more.Its such a lovely place to explore.

My ds plays for the local under 9s football team. It's great for the kids and the parents. Gives us a great sense of community x

The local library. Unfortunately it's opening hours were reduced drastically a year ago. This has made me appreciate it even more than I did before.

Community fun days in my local park are at the heart of my families summer

The lovely friendly community I live in

The local park which has recently been revamped from a 1970's concrete accident waiting to happen, to a lush new themed adventure playground. It also has exercise equipment (child friendly) and a large green / picnic area in which my son runs around with a football for hours. As we live in a small community my son always meets friends (unplanned) and there is always someone for me to chat to. It has a coffee and ice cream shop near by and plenty of restaurants for a treat. Our high street however is massively disappointing and redundant, sign of the times.

Our local After School Club. They're fabulous. They really can't do enough for the children. I don't know what I'd do without them.

Living in a built up area in the city, I really value are allotment gardens and parks, the green spaces are so important to us as a family. My family has gained so much from being able to spend time outside, enjoying the natural environment. We also really value the local Scouts group, my son started as a Beaver, continued to be involved and now volunteers as a young leader. The Scouts has given him friendships and valuable life skills as well as being fun. As a family we also really appreciate having friendly and helpful neighbours, something that money can't buy!

Our local row of shops (including post office, Co- Op, Barbers, Bookmakers, diy store, bakery, chip shop) is a real community hub for our area, if someone has for instance a fire and loses everything you can guarantee the shops will have collections, a raffle, donate goods etc to raise money to help with clothes, food etc. We've had everything from sponsored hair/beard shaving to sponsored walks to help people have life saving & life changing medical operations abroad. Non of that would of ever been possible if all the businesses and community didn't band together and help out. So although we don't have a community club as such we do have a great sense of community spirit by visiting our local shops everyday.

Living in a village surrounded by countryside, it is important to have that togetherness as a community. Having local play areas is important and events like village fetes and shows help bring people together. Also, having such beautiful countryside around us to explore helps us get back to nature and spend quality time together as a family.

The local library is definitely hits the top of the list for me since our sure start centres were shut down, now all the community activities are run from there. There is learning access, the council is based in it plus the library and its right next door to the park.

Just having a good online source of information as it can be so hard to find iut about local baby and toddler groups

Our local square often has pop up food markets. I love these as it gives me and my family a chance to try new things and meet new people

The local bakery - the fresh proper bread, pastries and cakes make a nice change from the supermarket stuff.

We have several lovely parks and a library, which organise activities for children and adults.

Also, I couldn't live without a Facebook page for local mums, where we exchange information and advice.

The library. It gave us somewhere free, warm, dry. welcoming and imaginative to go on wet, miserable days when the children were young. It has saved us a fortune in buying books and dvds. It has computers we can all use which saved us a fortune when the children started to need computers and printers for homework and we couldn't afford one. It has friendly faces and gives out free dog poo bags!!! Libraries are the friends of the poor, the rich, the educated and uneducated, the old and the young. They should be at the centre of every community. Co-op, why don't you partner with/sponsor libraries? My village has a Co-op and a library at its centre and we couldn't live without either.

our local park and play are- as shabby as it is ..its ours (the communities) and we love it. its somewhere for the children to play and get together-

My sons Scout group, it is a brilliant opportunity to learn how to look after yourself and go on brilliant adventures.

We have a community run outdoor swimming pool with cafe. It's hugely popular and as the pool is heated is popular evern when it's not boiling hot. I'm very grateful to the community minded people that run it.

Free outdoor parks for sure.

We visit them in all weathers but they are especially great in summer. My DD is tiny but still finds little play mates and the older children can all socialise.

We are very lucky in that our council do seem to invest in them and we have several really good ones in our town .

I'm lucky enough to live in a village with plenty of green land for my boys and dog to play. We have a children's play park. I also live near to Northumberlandia - the lady of the North which is a great outdoor space with brilliant vantage points. In the village we have Beavers/Cubs/Scouts and Karate and Zumba too!!

The play park. When we first moved to the village it's where we met other parents to talk to and now it's where we welcome other new people. After school, if it's a dry day, we head to the park and there's always kids for the DC to play with and people for me to have an adult conversation with.

We couldn't live without our local park it really is the hub of the town.

My sons school. It has a real community feel. Everyone is really friendly and supportive.

Our small town has 2 large primary schools, but only 1 small park on the outskirts, nothing within walking distance for the majority :( . We do have a library and an independent cinema that's really good value.
Even the snacks are sensible prices!