Eight groups in Norfolk and Suffolk handed £14,000 funding boost thanks to Central England Co-op

Posted by rob smyth | Published: 16/01/2020


Charities, preschools and even a football team were among seven groups in Norfolk and Suffolk who have shared a £14,000 community grant thanks to Central England Co-operative.

Eight charities and good causes shared the payout, with a total of over £44,000 handed out to 25 good causes across 16 counties from the retailer’s Community Dividend Fund.

The Blossom Charity, also based in Eye, will use £2,394 to buy vital equipment that will be used as part of a brand new wellbeing centre designed around empowering women in the local area to improve their lives.

Wells-next-the-Sea Men’s Shed has been awarded £2,000 to enhance the work it does to cut down on isolation and loneliness in the local area by encouraging people to come together and build friendships and share skills and knowledge.

Terry Kane, Chairman of the Wells-next-the-Sea Mens Shed, said “This award from Central England Co-operative is a tremendous boost to the development of our shed.

“Our plans for 2020 are to consolidate our operation, add a metalwork shop and install an eco energy solution for electricity.

“This award provides a step change in our goals to become the UK’s first Eco Mens Shed and to continue to support community projects as well as significantly help us build our membership.”

A total of £2,000 has been handed to Halesworth Dementia Carers Fund to pay for a new storage shed. The good cause was also given £500 in Co-op vouchers to support those who care for people with dementia.

A total of £2,000 was awarded to West Norfolk Riding for the Disabled to buy a new workshop that will house equipment that allows youngsters the chance to enjoy horse riding or carriage driving.

Rainbow Day Nursery, based in Lowestoft, will use £1,050 to build a wildlife pond that will allow youngsters to learn more about the environment.

Sue Cole, from the nursery, said: “We are very excited to be able to begin constructing our pond and wildlife area for the children to have access to this spring. Many of the children who attend our nursery come from homes that do not have a garden and therefore possibly miss out on opportunities to experience the natural world.  

“We are looking forward to introducing our children and families to the benefits of the natural world and helping them to gain understanding of the world we live in.”

Ilketshall Saint Margaret Village Hall, in Bungay, will use £1,200 to replace vital wall heaters to ensure a variety of events can continue.

A spokesperson for the village hall said: “The villagers of Ilketshall Saint Margaret would like to thank Central England Co-op for the grant from the Community Dividend Fund.    It will allow us to provide new heating in the hall, as part of our ongoing improvements  and make a more welcoming  environment for our villagers at our various entertainment events.”

Occold Pre-school, based in Eye, has been awarded £1,150 for a climbing net for its outdoor play area to help youngsters improve their co-ordination and muscle strength.

Di Noller, from the pre-school, said: “As a small, rural village pre-school, we were thrilled to be successful in obtaining a grant from the Central England Co-operative Community Dividend Fund.

“The children in our care love to play in our secure and safe garden - the grant will enable us to purchase some new outdoor play equipment including a climbing frame.

“We know that the children will really love this addition to our garden and parents can rest assured that our all-weather safety surface will keep their little ones safe, while they let off some steam.”

The players of Holt FC will be donning a new strip next season after a £750 donation.

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, 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

 

Picture caption: Groups from across Norfolk and Suffolk celebrated being handed their grant from the Central England Co-operative Community Dividend Fund.

 

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, travel shops, 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 2019.

 

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 member 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 and James Brindle at Central England Co-operative on 01543 421390

 

Email –publicrelations@centralengland.coop