Tesco teamed up with Groundwork to launch its community funding scheme, which sees grants of £4,000, £2,000 and £1,000 – raised from carrier bag sales in Tesco stores – being awarded to local community projects.
Three groups in every Tesco region have been shortlisted to receive the cash award and shoppers are being invited to head along to Tesco stores to vote for who they think should take away the top grant.
Grow Your Community – Sudbury, led by ActivLives, is one of the groups on the shortlist.
Volunteering opportunities for local people in Sudbury’s parks and green spaces to improve their health and well-being, learn skills, and make their community bloom!
Members of the community will get active to build strong communities where people are proud of where they live and what they can achieve together. Building on a pilot project, this new phase will inspire and empower increasing numbers of residents and groups to adopt green spaces and plots where they live. Our project will establish volunteering groups in housing estates, blocks of flats, pocket parks and neglected areas of town, and give them the support they need to become self-sustaining. It will work with people who lack confidence or need support to enable them to take part.
Project Co-ordintor Dan Wheals said: “We are delighted to have the opportunity to be supported by Tesco shoppers. People will have the chance to make a difference in their local area – to turn round and say, we did that! And feel better too.”
Voting is open in all Tesco stores throughout November and December. Customers will cast their vote using a token given to them at the check-out in store each time they shop.
Tesco’s Bags of Help project has already delivered over £36 million to nearly 8,000 projects up and down the UK. Tesco customers get the chance to vote for three different groups every time they shop. Every other month, when votes are collected, three groups in each of Tesco’s regions will be awarded funding.
Alec Brown, Head of Community at Tesco, said:
“We are absolutely delighted to open the voting for November and December. There are some fantastic projects on the shortlists and we can’t wait to see these come to life in hundreds of communities.”
Groundwork’s National Chief Executive, Graham Duxbury, said:
“We’ve been thrilled to see the diversity of projects that have applied for funding, ranging from outdoor classrooms, sports facilities, community gardens, play areas and everything in between.
“We’re looking forward to learning the results of the customer vote and then supporting each group to bring their project to life.”
Funding is available to community groups and charities looking to fund local projects that bring benefits to communities. Anyone can nominate a project and organisations can apply online. To find out more visit www.tesco.com/bagsofhelp