STOKESLEY Pride in our Town (SPIOTA) was delighted to be chosen as one of the charities for the 2019/2020 Co-op Local Community Fund.

This is a national scheme which supports local charities through the Co-op, donating a percentage of the amount Co-op members spend locally.

SPIOTA is aptly named. This stalwart group is out in all weathers, planting, weeding or changing the plants at the change of seasons. Members worked throughout the pandemic, ensuring that the residents of Stokesley had brightness and colour throughout 2020.

Their work involves looking after, and planting up several flowerbeds and more than 100 tubs in Stokesley. However, having been chosen to benefit from the Co-op funding, volunteer members were able to expand on this and go ahead with a project to create a community garden on an disused piece of land at the entrance to the Showfield car park in Stokesley.

Clearing the site of old shrubs would have been a daunting task for the SPIOTA team, but again the Co-op helped out by arranging for its contractors Ground Control to provide machinery and manpower. The planting of shrubs and bulbs has already taken place, and the groundwork has been done to create a path and seating area.

Last week a cheque was handed over to SPIOTA for the sum of £8,801.99. The chair of SPIOTA, Linda Purnell said: “We are extremely grateful to the Co-op for this amazing sum, which will ensure we can continue with our regular work in Stokesley and create a lovely community space for the benefit of the town.”