Group providing riding for disabled people handed early Christmas gift thanks to Central England Co-op
Posted by rob smyth | Published: 03/10/2017
A riding school for disabled people has unwrapped an early Christmas present after being handed £2,500 in the latest payout from Central England Co-operative’s Community Dividend Fund.
A wide range of projects from across the area with a total of £51,000 handed out to 30 good causes across 16 counties.
Gartmore Riding School, based in Hall Lane, Hammerwich, will use the grant to fund a raft of new equipment ranging from soft mats that will allow disabled riders to be seated on the floor alongside able bodied riders to safety equipment such as hats and boots.
Tracy Francis, from the school, said: “Gartmore Riding School is delighted to receive funding from Central England Co-op Community Dividend Fund.
“The group promotes and encourages riding, horse care and stable management for children and adults with physical, emotional and psychological disability.
“Horse-riding provides not only physical exercise that the person can feel in control of, but also gives a sense of independence and equality that few other sports provide, in turn improving self-esteem and confidence.
“Parents and carers of those who access the school have reported an improvement in dexterity and co-ordination in those with physical disability following the physical requirements of holding the reins or repetitive actions carried out through horse care, that they find therapeutic.
“Our grant will allow us to purchase new and additional equipment such as special reins for those with physical disabilities.”
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/
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: Members of Gartmore Riding School celebrate 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 gross sales of £927 million in 2016/17. The Society’s principal areas of activity are 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 2017.
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