Community groups in Derbyshire handed £17,000 funding boost thanks to Central England Co-operative

Posted by nathan lloyd | Published: 06/01/2017


Ten groups in Derbyshire are celebrating after sharing over £17,000 in the latest payout from Central England Co-operative’s Community Dividend Fund.

Belper Meadows Sports Club were handed the maximum grant of £5,000, with a total of £57,000 handed out to 34 good causes across 16 counties.

The volunteer-led club will use the cash to pay for a new kitchen that will benefit over 500 members who play a range of sports from tennis to cricket.

A spokesman from the sports club said: “With this grant from Central England Co-op we will be able to fit out the kitchen in our new facility to provide a safe, hygienic catering environment for all that use the club.

“This support from Central England Co-op is very much needed and greatly appreciated by all at Belper Meadows Sports Club.”
Youngsters at Holbrook Pre-School will soon be able to play and learn outdoors whatever the weather as they use £2,046 to buy a new shelter.

People looking to follow in the footsteps of Robin Hood will now be able to, after Bolsover-based Poppynjay Archers scooped a grant of £1,292 to pay for a raft of new equipment to help teach archery skills across the local community as well as empowering new coaches under the age of 25.

The streets of Chesterfield will soon be a little bit safer thanks to a £1,450 grant to the Chesterfield and District Neighbourhood Watch.

The money will be spent to pay for items such as personal alarms for the elderly and vulnerable and purse bells to deter thieves.
TOGS Clothing Bank provides free second-hand goods for children aged 0 to 16 ranging from school uniform to toys across Derby.

They have been awarded £500 to pay for storage for items to ensure the vital scheme continues throughout 2017.

Anthea Peters, from the project, said: “We are extremely grateful for the grant from Central England Co-operative.” 

Bakewell Silver Band, based in Chesterfield, has been handed £3,170 to pay for new chairs and storage for use during rehearsals and performances. The equipment will also be used by local Scout and Brownie groups.

Players at Cliffe Park Crown Green Bowling Club, in Dronfield, will soon be the talk of the town thanks to a new uniform paid for by a £1,000 grant, whereas

The Stute Bowls Club, in Ilkeston, will use £1,000 to revamp one of its greens to prevent it from becoming a hazard for players.

Chellaston Community Centre holds a series of groups for all ages and has been boosted by £1,200 to spend on new tables to increase the amount of activities it can host.

Derventio Choir will soon be wowing the crowds with their vocal skills with a brand new look after receiving a Community Dividend Fund grant for £830 to pay for new uniforms.

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.

Martyn Cheatle, Chief Executive of Central England Co-operative, said: “I would like to urge all of our members to get in touch and put forward a community cause close to their heart for the Community Dividend scheme.”

People can apply for funding by visiting https://communities.centralengland.coop/ or heading in store to pick up an application form.

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, which hands out grants of up to £5,000
to charities and good causes across the Society’s trading estate.

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

Potential applicants have to have been a Central England Co-operative member for six months, the project should be in the trading area of a Central England Co-operative store and all applications will need a referee.

Notes to editors

About Central England Co-operative

Central England Co-operative is one of the largest independent retail co-operative societies in the UK. It is a modern, forward-looking organisation employing over 8,000 staff, with projected gross sales of £958million for 2016/17. The Society recently celebrated being named Leading Co-operative of the Year 2016 by Co-operatives UK. The Society’s principal areas of activity are food, funeral services, and property. Central England Co-operative has more than 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.  The Society has an ambitious food store development programme for 2016/17.
Central England Co-operative is proud of its reputation for ethical business practices and corporate responsibility.  It is a member of Business in the Community, the membership organisation that stands for responsible business, and has also won many business awards for excellence.  The Society supports a number of charities including Newlife Foundation for Disabled Children and invests a percentage of its trading profit into local communities.
For more information visit http://www.centralengland.coop follo,w Central England Co-operative on Twitter: @mycoopfood, and on Facebook: facebook.com/centralenglandcooperative
Rob Smyth / Jo Baldock at Central England Co-operative on 01543 414140
Email –publicrelations@centralengland.coop