Southsea preschool given helping hand by local co-operative volunteers

Southern Co-op colleagues took part in a volunteering effort to help clear the green space around the Little Bears Forest Preschool.

After contacting Portsmouth Parks and Open Spaces about volunteering opportunities, Southern Co-op was told Little Bears Forest Preschool had recently taken on the lease from the council for the preschool and needed help with an area to be used for the children's outdoor activities.

The area was overgrown with mainly blackthorn and brambles.

Sarah Ward, Service Desk Analyst at Southern Co-op, said: ‘We're proud to have been able to help Little Bears and support their mission to provide a safe and engaging learning environment for the children.

‘At Southern Co-op, we believe in giving back to the communities that support us, and we'll continue to seek out opportunities to make a positive impact in Portsmouth and beyond.’

Based next to Milton Common, the preschool looks after around 50 children.

Megan Smith, Deputy Manager at Little Bears, said: ‘We are very grateful for the support and help of the volunteers in their efforts to clear the overgrown and littered area.

‘We are thoroughly looking forward to teaching the children here with nature and expanding our offerings. The team of people who came to help were all really lovely and it was great to chat with them.

To find out more about how Southern Co-op supports local communities, visit https://southern.coop/how-we-do-it/community