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

The library! Like so many others it seems.

The dc love it and it's free. Ours has a massive children's section in a separate room and the librarians encourage the children to run around and play.

A local park for the kids is a life saver keeps kids entertained for hours and best of all its free also gives parents an opportunity to socialise with other parents

The church opposite my house. It's a small building but hosts Brownies on Monday (I presume it's Brownies as little girls go there though it may be something else) and does Sunday services with gospel singers singing the most amazing and lovely songs and they also do small weddings. I'm not religious at all and haven't actually been in there but I like how it brings people together. I can look out the window and get a direct view and often before a sermon there is someone at the gate waiting to direct cars into the parking space or greeting visitors and they have such a smiley and cheery demeanour that random people will smile back and say hello as they walk past down the street. My area is a hotbed of hidden controversy at the moment (I found out because I Googled my area randomly but tbh I never would have guessed and it hasn't changed my perception of it) and since learning this, this little church is even more great :)

Our village hall. It's a fab space used for everything from children's parties and afternoon tea fundraisers to the local polling station and annual panto venue. We are lucky as the whole village supports the running and upkeep - we all recently came together to redecorate- everyone did their little bit painting, clearing, stripping wallpaper etc. A lovely hub for the community to come together.

Definitely the local library for me. I enrolled both my kids at just a few months old, and it has been a fun and important part of their lives ever since.
I rely heavily on it too, as I could never afford to buy all the new books that take my fancy - but I can enjoy them thanks to the library. Long may it last!

the CRUK Good as New Sale for Children's Toys, Clothes, Equipment - we hold it twice a year and its been running c 40 years and apparently is the inspiration for the NCT sales - but ours is infinitely better

it's the best recycling system, we were recycling before it became popular

Everyone (with children) benefits, CRUK receive 20% of all sales, the owners receive the balance, the public get the chance to buy superb quality clothes and equipment (often new) sorted into ages and genders.

Approximately 50 women work like crazy on the day receiving things for sale, sorting out and then at the end of the sale returning unsold items for their owners to collect.

Items not collected at the end of the day are collected by local charities.

Wonderful atmosphere and community event, I've been helping for over 30 years, clothed and equipped my children. Many of these 'children' are now helpers buying for their children and the grandparents too are returning to help.

Children are also encouraged to part with their outgrown, not needed 'stuff' and earn back some money - great education for them too

Over 300 families put things in for sale and over 400 came to buy

Everyone wins!

We're very lucky to have a huge park nearby, with a stream running through it, a castle and two large children's play parks. It's an invaluable community resource that's much appreciated by all the different generations who make use of it.

I couldn live without local food sources such as the green grocers and the family butchers. Everything is fresh produce reasonably prices and much better quality than the supermarket.its a great sense of community you get to stop and have a natter. the local park is a life saver it has everything and is one if the better parks no graffiti and has more things than just a slide and swing.there is a pond near by to feed the ducks and lovely grass area to have picnics.

Our co op is an important part of our community! The pub in the middle of the village and our village hall are also important, but there's a big message board in the co op keeping us up to date with what's going on. One thing I miss is that there used to be a pub with a beer garden where you could sit out with children. It's a block of flats now. There are spaces for children, playgrounds, but I feel we've lost our only real social, mixed age space.

I think it would be difficult without playgrounds - there are many kids around, who need entertaining to and from school/nursery. Stopping at the playground and have a good run is just essential :)

Our community bungalow - hosts various events and has got me involved in so many opportuntiies i wouldnt have had without them. ive made loads of new friends and found a purpose i wasnt even looking for.

Local pharmacy - couldn't be without it

Our local park, it really has a bit of everything. It has a beautiful nature walk with seasonal ponds, places to take the dog, playground for the children, tennis courts, bowling green, football pitch and rugby pitch, large fields. The kids love going down there as much as I loved going down there when I was a kid :)

A few to choose from but I would hate to lose the local family centres - one near us is absolutely brilliant & the staff have been incredibly supportive of our recent problems. When DD was younger, she went to several groups run by them. There used to be an excellent cafe too but unfortunately it had to close.

We have our communal garden open day every summer - everybody brings dishes to share - there are lots of stalls all manned by tenants of our housing association - stalls teaching various crafts, people offering pedicures and reflexology for free. Kids get face paints and make spaghetti frames and little clay pots. We have live music and food from tea and cakes to jerk chicken.
All donated by and shared by the residents around our garden and it's the highlight of the year for all ages.

The children's play parks and all the community children's groups which our local co ok th praise for which is fantastic.

Our community play park has just been done up so there's more variety of toys for different ages. There are a few parent and toddler groups in the area all on different days so there's always somewhere to meet up with friends and play.

Our beach - it really is the hub of the community.

Our beach cleans - we have a few a year, a notice goes up and we all spend a morning cleaning all the crap up so the marine and other wildlife are spared a harrowing demise and kids don't get their feet shredded by glass.

The pub down the road that has a wee soft play area. Lifesaver!

We have an amazing local park that regularly has events at the weekends and is used for children's events throughout the summer holidays. The play park is great in the summer, big enough to spend a whole morning or afternoon in, especially if you bring a picnic.

I love our local farmers' market - it's once a month and all local suppliers - from bread to cheese, chocolate to pies and cakes and a local independent plant nursery. I love to support it and afterwards a group of us meet up at a nearby independent coffee shop to catch up, which we can't do during the week.

Our local sure start children's centre is very much at the heart of our community, despite being situated on the edge. The area is full of young families and thanks to the centre everyone knows or at least recognises so many others where ever you go. It's lovely as people who wouldn't ordinarily mix have formed friendships and those who would be quite isolated don't feel so alone. The centre itself runs on a shoestring. But the women who work there are absolutely wonderful and very skilled at putting on lots of varied groups with very little funding.

Some of the local schools in my area are always threatening to close so they have become more than just a school. At our primary there's a nursery, toddler groups, OAP mornings as well as fun days and sports days organised for the whole community.

Our local library has closed. I'd like it to re open- we have plenty of books at home but letting the children go and choose their own was amazing. It's not quite the same in a shop- it's not always Childrens choice on a shop, price comes into play too!