Honiton charities enjoy sunny socially distanced cheque giving celebration

Three charities which work together serving the Honiton community have each received a donation courtesy of the Tesco used books sale.

Representatives for Trip Community Transport, Admiral Nurse Honiton and Hospiscare attended a socially distanced cheque giving ceremony at the Honiton Tesco store on Friday (Feb 27).

With beaming sunshine and blue skies the atmosphere was one of small celebration; for seeing familiar, friendly faces (albeit behind masks) and acknowledging the wonderful work of a few of Honiton's dedicated volunteer groups.

Proceeds generated through the sale of donated books, which operates out of the Tesco foyer, are put towards charitable initiatives in Honiton.

Tesco Community Manager, Duncan Sheridan-Shaw commented: "Our book club has been up and running again since Christmas [having stopped due to Covid] and because we've made so much money we were keen to get it back into the community.

"We haven't currently got the usual groups we donate to, so what we've done is to pick three local charity organisations we thought could really benefit from the donation."

Trip Community Transport have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic, providing the logistics for home-delivered meals and shopping services, catering for vulnerable residents (including on Christmas day) and ferrying people to and from Exmouth for the all-important vaccination – among other things!

The Admiral Nurse is an invaluable asset for Honiton residents, especially those experiencing the often traumatic effects of dementia. Without funding, a dedicated medical professional would not be on hand to offer specialist treatment and advice.

Hospiscare funds a team of doctors, nurses and support staff in the local area; providing end of life care for people and allowing them to spend precious time making memories with their loved ones.

Duncan went on to explain: "These three groups actually work together in tandem to make life better for Honiton residents – it's all about a joint goal. They all support each other and are interconnected, so it made sense to split the money between them."

Deputy Manager for Trip, Sharon Thorne expressed her gratitude to Duncan and Tesco for the donation.

She said: "Things have obviously been quite challenging fundraising recently, so this is amazing. We are so proud to support the community in the way we do.

"The money will go towards our current efforts to raise 17 and a half thousand pounds for an electric vehicle, which will support the community for the next 25 to 30 years going forward.

"It's good for the environment, it's good for the people we serve, it's cheaper than a diesel and it'll be replacing a much-loved 70-year-old vehicle that we got from Win eight years ago."

Community Fundraiser for Hospiscare, Toni Hiscocks, also wished to thank customers who support the Tesco book sale.

She told Honiton Nub News: "We're facing a million pound deficit due to the pandemic and are just trying to raise enough to keep our vital services running.

"It's just about keeping the nurses out there and supplying them with PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) and ensuring end of life care is provided for everyone in the community."

Chair of the Honiton Dementia Action Alliance, Heather Penwarden also thanked Duncan and the Honiton Tesco team for all the 'much valued support they give to this community'.

She added: "On behalf of families living with dementia, I can truly say that your donation to our Honiton Admiral Nurse fund really will make a difference."