Co-op funeral home to fundraise for Gosport Shed

Colleagues at the Southern Co-op funeral home in Gosport are looking forward to a year of fundraising for The Gosport Shed.

It was set up in 2013 thanks to money donated from businesses including Southern Co-op and is based in the grounds of St Vincent College.

Les Blackburn, fundraiser and PR officer at The Gosport Shed, said: ‘Our shed was established because many older men find that retirement takes away most of our friends and our sense of purpose, leaving us vulnerable to physical illness and depression.

‘The Gosport Shed provides a new network of friends and a renewed sense of purpose.

‘We were delighted when Southern Co-op selected us as their charity partner for 2018/19.’

The Shed scheme started in Australia and has since grown across the UK.

Gosport has seen its number increase over the past few years.

Claire Cobb, funeral co-ordinator at Gosport funeral home, said: ‘Having already helped to fund The Gosport Shed some years ago, we thought it would be great to link up with them again and provide more much-needed funds for their fantastic project.’