Community Initiatives at their very best – SPAR at the heart of our Community

Having run the Cheshire Life Community Initiatives story regarding 'Keep Life Local' (the deadline for nominations being 6 November), we thought we would share with you how one local business has gone the extra mile, coming together to move forward, and placing community at the very heart of what they do.

So, what has Thom Morton, Director of SPAR Tattenhall, been doing during lockdown?

• Mindful that many of us have used (and continue to use) the Tarporley War Memorial Hospital, Thom has just donated £4000 in celebration of this charity-run community hospital which specialises in intermediate care and rehabilitation. As well as in-patient care, they also offer a fantastic day care service and a range of out-patient services too. Thom's wife, Julie Morton, together with Dawn Price, have been busy sewing bees and undertook a project to create face masks for sale in the SPAR store. With an initial project target of 1000 face masks, this was quickly surpassed and ultimately 2000 face masks were created and sold. Julie and Dawn (given the idea by Jules Williams) have been working tirelessly in the evenings and at weekends to produce such an astonishing outcome, Thom Morton having supplied all the materials.
• Thom is also a staunch advocate of 'community' and the local benefits that collaborative partnerships can bring. With 'mindfulness' and 'well being' such high profile issues during lockdown, Thom has also donated £1000 to the Tattenhall Recreation Club to help sustain its long-term future.
• He has also worked collaboratively to have the new 'Community Public Access Defibrillator' (CPAD), located outside the SPAR store on the High Street. Now operational, SPAR is committed to supporting the CPAD at this location since other defibrillators are housed in buildings throughout the village but which are variously closed.
• Not content with all of this, Thom has also donated to Tattenhall Horticultural Society during lockdown – we all know how we have been 'eye-balling' the soil as horticulture has taken on a new lease of life during lockdown.
• Thom has always supported (and continues to support) 'free local deliveries' of groceries – after-all, this is an independent grocers of 38 years standing with firstly, Andrew Morton, and now Thom Morton, at the helm. 'Keeping Life Local' has been at the heart of SPAR's supply chain with shelves stocked in lockdown (in particular) from Littlers Butchers, M&G Whittingham Milk, Lloyds Eggs, Walk Mill Flour, Weetwood Ales, Chatwins Bread and, of course, ice cream from the Cheshire Ice Cream Farm to name but a few. Going the extra mile in lockdown has also seen Thom, arranging free deliveries to other villages when local supermarkets were unable to meet demand, namely Malpas, Tarvin and Bunbury.

Thom continues to thank the wonderful support that SPAR receives from local customers and suppliers; it is easy to see why Thom and his family so enjoy being at the nucleus of our village.

Should you wish to vote for these or any other 'Keeping Life Local' projects, then CLICK HERE to be directed to the Cheshire Life Website and don't forget to write in and tell us about other local projects. We look forward to hearing from you.