£1,000 grant helps purchase new play equipment for Come and Play Preschool in Hazlemere

A £1,000 grant from The Midcounties Co-operative has helped provide brand new play equipment for children at the Come and Play Preschool in Hazlemere.

The grant was used to purchase a new sandbox, water table and mud kitchen for the 40 children who use the popular preschool.

The Come and Play Preschool in Hazlemere is a registered charity run by a committee that fund raises to pay for rent, renovation and new equipment. Over the past 18 months, the committee has raised over £16,000 to resurface its outdoor area, and has been recently raising money for new play equipment.

Laura Ripley, chairperson of Come and Play Preschool, said: ‘As a charity, we rely on fund raising and donations for new equipment and renovation to provide a great place for the children to learn and develop.

The money from The Midcounties Co-operative has been really helpful in allowing us to purchase the new equipment to make our outdoor area even better and all the children really enjoy using it.‘

The grant was issued following an application by Come and Play to the Midcounties Co-operative’s Community Fund which presents grants to worthy recipients throughout the Society’s trading areas.

The Society is committed to developing young people and children in High Wycombe and the Midcounties Co-operative Food store in Hazlemere has supported Come and Play in previous years, having donated £250 to buy an iPad for the children and providing the school with food for its Christmas and Easter events.

Mark Taylor, leadership ambassador for The Midcounties Co-operative in High Wycombe, said: ‘As a co-operative, we’re always looking to make a positive impact on our community and it’s been great helping Come and Play continue to provide excellent care for children in High Wycombe.

This funding is part of our Regional Communities strategy, which is our commitment to supporting local organisations and charities, and we’re looking forward to maintaining our strong relationship with organisations like Come and Play in the months and years to come.‘

The Midcounties Co-operative is the largest independent co-operative society in the UK with more than 500 sites and 507,000 members and was voted as Co-operative of the Year at this year’s Co-operative Congress.