Co-op community fund awards £15,740 cash boost to six groups in Norfolk and Suffolk to ensure vital work continues to help those in need
Posted by rob smyth | Published: 20/04/2020
Central England Co-op has shared out £15,740 between six good causes in Norfolk and Suffolk to ensure they can continue their vital community work during the Coronavirus outbreak.
Groups stretching from King’s Lynn to Halesworthwere delighted to receive the funding boost during these uncertain times, with a total of £50,000 handed out to 29 groups across 16 counties from the retailer’s Community Dividend Fund.
The money will now be spent by charities and organisations to ensure that events, activities and support that otherwise might have been postponed or cancelled can still go ahead and provide a vital boost to the local community.
Black Dog Judo Club, based in Bungay, will use £4,950 to pay for a brand new specialist floor to ensure that it can reopen safely following the lockdown for over 500 users in the community aged from two to 92.
Mark Purllant, from the club, said: “We are so chuffed and very thankful to Central England Co-operative for their generosity and understanding of our community project.”
Rescue Wooden Boars Maritime Heritage Centre, based in Wells next the Sea, will use £3,000 to extend the life of one of its ships to provide vital community and history benefits.
A total of £2,830 will be used by 12th King’s Lynn Scout Group, based in Norfolk, to transform its scout hut into an information and communication suite for when lockdown measures are lifted.
Harleston Magpies Hockey Club will use £2,400 to plug a fund-raising gap left unfilled due to the Coronavirus outbreak and buy new bespoke kits for when it can start working with hundreds of local youngsters again in the near future.
Ellingham Primary School, in Bungay, has been handed £2,080 to help pay for vital safety equipment to ensure that children of key workers still in school can continue to use outdoor activity equipment.
A new notice board, costing £480, has also been funded for Saxons Way Allotments, in Halesworth to help support a boom in people being interested in growing their own food as a result of the lockdown.
Debbie Robinson, Central England Co-op Chief Executive, said: “Now more than ever being a co-operative business that sits at the heart of our communities is so important.
“We are delighted that these great projects and good causes have been handed a grant that will allow them to continue their fantastic work in the community at this uncertain time.
“Community Dividend Fund grants like this showcase how by being a member and shopping at your local Central England Co-op store allows us as a Society to continue to invest and fund vital projects in the area.”
Grants of between £100 and £5,000 are handed out every three months to a wide range of applicants.
The fund guarantees that at least one per cent of the Society’s trading profit is reinvested in local communities in a bid to help projects to thrive across its trading area of 16 counties from the Midlands to the east coast.
People can apply for funding by visiting https://communities.centralengland.coop/
Becoming a member of Central England Co-operative offers a whole host of benefits ranging from collecting points every time you spend in store to earn a share of the profits, access to members activities and community initiatives including the Community Dividend Fund.
Find out how to become a Central England Co-operative member by calling 0800 0501 601, emailing members@centralengland.coop or visiting https://www.members.coop
Notes to editors
Picture caption: Central England Co-op’s Community Dividend Fund has shared out £50,000 to good causes to help ease the impact of the Coronavirus.
About Central England Co-operative
Central England Co-operative is one of the largest independent retail co-operative societies in the UK with interests in food, funeral, floral, travel and property investment.
Co-operatives have always been there for their communities; they were formed to protect them and help them flourish.
Our 7,900 colleagues who serve Members and customers work hard to ensure that co-operative values, principles and spirit flow through everything we do to help support and improve our local communities.
Owned by hundreds of thousands of Members, we have over 430 trading outlets across 16 counties including West Midlands, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Nottinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire.
We are proud of our reputation for ethical business practices and corporate responsibility.
We invest a percentage of our trading profit into local communities through our Community Dividend Fund scheme, have donated over £1.3 million to our corporate charity partner Dementia UK and also operate a pioneering food redistribution partnership with FareShare Midlands so unsold food goes to those in need.
Visit www.centralengland.coop for more information or follow us on Facebook or Twitter using @mycoopfood
Press office contacts: Rob Smyth and James Brindle
Phone - 01543 421390
Email - publicrelations@centralengland.coop