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 local soft play is brilliant, it is so clean, tidy and the staff are friendly. It offers a great birthday party package which includes the party food which is a good mixture with plenty of fruit and veg.

Our local toddlers group. It's been running for 26 years at least.
It's run by volunteers and the mums help out.
Many friendships are made there, people bring in unwanted baby clothes and leave them for other people to help themselves to, if a family is in a situation in need everyone rallies around them. It's fantastic.
other than some scraps over toys

our small rural town has an afterschool club which has proved invaluable for times when work runs late unexpectedly

I couldn't do without our library they have so many free activities or cheap activities. We also enjoy the activities and courses at our children's centre. Our church also has lots on for kids.

Our local Children's Centre and libraries - access to books, play and sensory sessions, and storytime/nursery rhyme sessions, and it's all free!

Our council run school holiday activities in their gyms and sports centres for the kids - they are great value and really good for the community

The local shop

So many things! We are lucky where we are - great primary school, lovely little library, green spaces and a playground as well as a local butcher's and post office.

I couldn't do without my church. My friends, flawed and honest; social justice and outreach beyond ourselves to those with little or nothing.. foodbank.. plus, baby group, social events, surf trips.. non judgemental and wonderful.

A park. We have a small but lovely park near us filled with birds and squirrels - vital for letting my toddler run around and explore.

Our village community centre - the village is a bit of a funny shape and doesn't really have a centre, something made worse by new build estates that have been tacked on, the community centre however has something for everyone and pulls people from all backgrounds and ages together. There are classes & groups for the kids, elderly, men & women, if your active great there are dance classes , exercise groups, karate, if that's not your thing there are language/ singing/ sewing/ drumming/ art classes, kids & baby groups, food & craft market and a lovely community tea room. Loads of events. It's the focal point for the health visitor baby clinic which was going to be withdrawn from the village.
We came to the village a few years ago and it is this place that introduced the whole family to our now fab group of friends and neighbours. It's a charity run by volunteers and I know it's hard for them to keep it going and then make improvements to mean they can continue to serve the ever growing village. Places like this are essential now council & health service cuts mean that services are becoming more restricted and centralised so they are withdrawn from the villages, leaving some villagers a bit isolated.

I live near a rural market town no swimming pool, no leisure centre, totally inadequate bus service.

However we do have a brilliant library, my DCs now use it by themselves and a brilliant community centre which has everything from karate, yoga, dog training and cubs! We also have lots of independent shops which are brilliant if only we had a swimming pool, leisure centre and decent bus service my £210 (band D) per month council tax bill would be a hell of a lot easier to swallow.

We are lucky in that within a 15 minute walk, we have Asda, Laserquest, ten pin bowling, swimming pool, ice rink etc, etc.

it would have to be the community centre

We are so lucky to have a great local country Park were people take walks and picnics, go to feed the ducks and the local schools use it regularly and it holds lots of events throughout the year it's an amazing place

We have some lovely little parks nearby and in the summer one of them is used for a village fair, which is really nice.

We have recently had a new footpath open up which means we can now walk to the forest from our house. This is amazing and we feel so lucky to be able to go there without having to drive there.

The volunteer run play group at our local church. It has been fabulous! A cup of tea handed to you as you walk in and plenty of friendly faces! A life saver when you have had a rough night or the children are driving you crazy! I have made some wonderful friends too x

The local park.

We live just a two minute walk away from the local park and playground, which is a complete godsend whenit comes to wearing out an incredibly energetic toddler. It's kept in immaculate condition, has lots and lots of amazing play equpment, and I appreciate it so much.

I love our little community but I can't get out of the house much unless I have someone with me but we have a couple of local community free magazines called Inspire & Grapevine which tells us all about what's going on in the area & all about the local businesses. They're both really useful & they run little competitions too to win vouchers for local independent shops which is really nice

The local parks are great for picnics and I like meeting up with the other parents in the area.

That there actually is a spirit of community in my little town! Proper, independant shops that sell things people need with fishmongers, butchers, greengrocers, bakery and so on - and with people who stop and chat.

our local library is great and well used and has managed to stay open albeit with limited hours now. we also love the beach and spend most days there with our dog

The local train service - very inexpensive within the local area, and frequent services through lovely countryside.

While there is plenty organised locally for babies and toddlers, there is much less for older children. However, our best local amenity is the natural environment as we live five minutes walk from the beach.