A COMMUNITY centre in Cam has received a vital donation from the Dursley branch of a national supermarket.

GL11 Community Project, which provides a range of training and education programmes, social groups and volunteering opportunities, was given £150 from Sainsbury’s store on Castle Street from the Sainsbury’s Community Budget Scheme.

The centre in Fairmead was created in 2001 when the county council-run family centre was forced to close but nearby families fought for some form of services to be retained in the community.

Initially GL11 ran a toddler group, and with the support of Stroud College offered courses in childcare and computers.

Since then GL11 has grown steadily into a thriving charitable business with its roots still firmly embedded in the Cam, Dursley and surrounding areas.

However the organisation still relies on donations for 80 per cent of its income and manager Indigo Redfern said donations such as from Sainsbury’s were vital.

“They are so important, we haven’t got any significant funding, we get it in small patches,” she said.

“We get a patchwork of donations so we are very pleased with this because it enables us to run courses.

“Some of the courses we could charge for but for the people who use it we really need to be making it cost free because we have to be accessible to the community.”

Sainsbury’s Dursley store manager Nick Langridge, said: “Our store is at the heart of the local community and is important we can play our part to support it.

“When we heard about GL11 Community Project and their story, we just wanted to help out as much as we could.”

The trustees of the community project are set t expand with a a number of new social groups and activities for adults with mild to moderate learning disabilities as well as support for people with early memory loss.

For more information about the work of GL11 or how to get involved, call 01453 548530 or visit the office in Fairmead, Cam, GL11 5JS.