Community groups in Leicestershire and Northamptonshire share nearly £40,000 in funding
Posted by rob smyth | Published: 08/05/2018
Nearly £40,000 in funding has been handed out to support a wide range of community groups and good causes by Central England Co-op across Leicestershire and Northamptonshire.
Over 20 groups shared the grant from the Southern Membership and Community Council (MCC) to support several great initiatives.
A total of £20,000 will be used to pay for a wide range of educational and recreational courses for people of all ages during 2018.
Co-op bands in Leicester, Ratby and Glenfield will use nearly £9,500 to continue entertaining people and fund-raising through their concerts.
Other groups to benefit will be budding artists at Cotesbach Art Group and people looking to hone their photography skills with Lutterworth Photographic Society.
Youngsters will also be boosted by a £500 grant to support eco schools and a further donation to support a special competition that highlights the success of up and coming young chefs.
The funds were green-lit by the Southern Membership and Community Council, which is made up of Co-op members who are passionate about their community and want to make a difference within it.
Each council is given funding and support by the Society to organise activities and events.
Karen Bevan, Member and Community Relations Officer, said: “The Co-operative has a long tradition of giving back to the community, and we welcome the opportunity to make a real difference to the lives and education of local people.
“It is really important to have strong links with the local community and I am proud the Southern Membership and Community Council were able to support these wide and varied projects.
“We have been able to give out different grant awards to a variety of deserving projects.”
Central England Co-operative offers a wide range of educational and recreational workshops and classes for its members and communities.
If you are interested in finding out more, please pop in to your local Central England Co-operative food store or email member.community@centralengland.coop
People can also find out more about the work of the Membership and Community Council by visiting https://www.members.coop/
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 the Society’s principal areas of activity being food, funeral services, and property investment.
Central England Co-operative has over 400 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 2018.
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 Dementia UK and invests a percentage of its trading profit into local communities.
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
For more information visit www.centralengland.coop, follow Central England Co-operative on Twitter: @mycoopfood, and on Facebook: facebook.com/centralenglandcooperative
Rob Smyth / Heather Clapton at Central England Co-operative on 01543 414140
Email –publicrelations@centralengland.coop