Local schools are to benefit from a joint effort by Ross-on-Wye shoppers and businesses to make the most of a national store’s latest promotion.
A local community initiative has been making the most of the Morrisons’ supermarket Let’s Grow promotion, in which purchases earn free vouchers schools can use to buy gardening equipment.
Voucher trees, specially made from old packaging by local re-use business Junkk.com, plus “coconuts” with the name of every participating school, have sprouted at Terry’s Digital and the EnviroAbility Book Swap Shop in town.
Terry Thomas of Terry’s said: “Having a tree in the store worked out well for everyone.
“Being right next door to the supermarket, we were convenient to drop off vouchers, and it made us some new friends in passing, too. A real win-win all round!”
Dennis Humble of EnviroAbility said: “We were more than happy to offer all those kind enough to pop in a way to make sure as many vouchers as possible would get to where they can do the most good. In fact, we had visitors from other towns come by and say what a good idea it was, and how they wished their community was as responsive and had done the same too.”
Now the promotion has finished, organisers will hand over the vouchers collected to the schools who took part.
But EnviroAbility has offered to continue accepting for a few more weeks at their Cantilupe Road shop any vouchers shoppers may still have lying around, and make sure they are added to the collection.
Peter Martin of Junkk.com said: “It was nice to see every part of the town pull together to make the most of the opportunity. The bulging containers we have ended up with show just what can be done when the public, businesses and local media pull together.
“It cost next to nothing to set up, but we are very appreciative of the time and effort of all concerned to help to make it work. With luck, we can think of more such mutually-rewarding community initiatives again in the future.”
