Good causes bloom thanks to store donations

School pupils, library users and green-fingered volunteers benefited when a new £1.6m Lincolnshire Co-op food store and pharmacy opened in Swineshead.

At the official launch of the new outlet, £250 donations were given to the Swineshead Community Hub and Library and the village’s In Bloom campaign.

Swineshead St Mary’s Primary School had already received a £250 donation when a team of colleague volunteers visited the school to paint equipment and tidy up the outside areas last week. Some of the pupils attended the opening, showing off before and after shots of the volunteers' work.

School Business Manager Emma Woods said: "We were so lucky to have the help of the volunteers who came - they made such a difference in just one day. The £250 has also meant we can buy fish and oxygenating plants for the pond, paint for the fences and some wood to create raised vegetable beds with. Some of the staff are our ex-pupils so it was nice to see them to come back and help out.

"The store and pharmacy are a great facility for the village."

The food store in High Street features a range of services including an in-store bakery, fresh fruit and vegetables, groceries and lots of chilled space offering food-to-go, meal options and beers and wines. It’s created 15 new jobs – and 11 of the new colleagues live in the village.

In the pharmacy, staff and patients are benefiting from much-improved facilities including a private consultation room and a larger dispensing area. The team relocated from its former home, also on High Street, to the hub.

Food Store Manager Emma Relton said opening day had gone well.

"There's lots of energy around the new outlet which was great to see," she said. "Lots of people came to see what we had to offer and told us they liked having the food store and pharmacy in one place as it will make things easier for them.

"We had a fantastic time on opening day and we're looking forward to continuing to serve the local community."