Eight groups in Leicestershire share funding boost of £17,000 thanks to Central England Co-operative
Posted by nathan lloyd | Published: 06/01/2017
Eight groups in Leicestershire are celebrating after sharing over £17, 000 in the latest payout from Central England Co-operative’s Community Dividend Fund.
Saint Aidan’s Community Hall, in New Parks, was handed the maximum grant of £5,000, with a total of £57,000 handed out to 34 good causes across 16 counties.
The money will be used to help pay for a new roof at the facility after it was revealed that without the work the future of the centre and the groups that operate from it could have been in jeopardy.
Father Simon Lumby, who is part of the hall’s management committee, said: “Everyone here at Saint Aidan’s is so very grateful to Central England Co-op for the grant that has meant that our community hall can stay open.
“The grant was needed for essential repairs to the roof that, had they gone unheeded, would have meant the closure of the only flexible community space on an estate that serves nearly 17,000 people.
“The value of this grant to us is almost incalculable in terms of its worth to the hundreds of people who use the hall week by week.”
Youngsters across the county will soon be able to learn more about the outdoors as registered charity Goldhill Play Association was handed £1,500 to
support its forest school sessions.
The money will pay for bell tents and fire kits as children head outdoors to learn about the environment.
Green-fingered gardeners at Stokeswood Allotment are breathing a sigh of relief after receiving £2,000 to pay for CCTV and security measures to help thwart a rise in vandalism and damage in the area.
Lenny Moule, from the Stokeswood Allotment Society, said: “We are grateful that Central England Co-operative has helped us with this project and it will hopefully give our plot holders the incentive to carry on.”
The Groby Road Allotment Society has been given £1,220 to move towards a sustainable way of work with the installation of solar power systems to run the on-site kitchen and outside lighting.
East West Community Centre will spend a £2,750 grant on improving an on-site allotment and outdoor area to boost the experience for visitors.
Loughborough-based charity Steps has been handed £2,500 to continue its vital work to support disabled children by purchasing equipment for a sensory garden.
Ratby Sports Football Club and Ibstock Utd under-8s will soon be playing in brand new kits after both were handed £1,000 from the Community Dividend Fund.
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.
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.
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
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 2015/16.
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