Groups across Leicestershire handed nearly £14,500 in funding by Central England Co-operative
Posted by nathan lloyd | Published: 22/09/2016
COMMUNITY groups across Leicestershire are being urged to follow in the footsteps of dozens of organisations across the county who have shared thousands of pounds in funding.
Central England Co-operative is issuing a plea to clubs, charities and schools across the county to apply to its Community Dividend Fund as, in the past year alone, nine good causes in the area have shared over £14,500 between them.
Grants of between £100 and £5,000 are handed out every three months to a wide range of applicants – more than £55,000 was handed out to 35 good causes in the last payout.
Members who head into selected stores across the county can now enjoy an exclusive offer with 5% off Co-op own brand products for a limited time and help support good causes across Leicestershire as part of the Community Dividend Fund.
The selected stores involved in the special offer include:
• Mill Lane, Enderby
• Leicester Road, Groby
• Station Road, Ratby
• Station Road, Castle Donington
• Main Street, Countesthorpe
Friends of Westgate School, based in Glenfield Road, Leicester, scooped a donation of £2,790 for an interactive swing for pupils from the Community Dividend Fund.
Budding football stars of tomorrow will soon be wowing the opposition ahead of the new season after Dunton and Broughton Rangers Juniors FC were handed £2,000 to pay for new kit.
Volunteers involved with Leicester Rape Crisis will use a grant of £1,900 to pay for a new stairs carpet at their headquarters in the city.
Friends of Evington scooped a cash boost of £1,000 to pay for seeds and containers as part of an ongoing environmental project.
Music lovers will soon be rejoicing after Leicestershire Co-op (Snibston) Band were given £964 to pay for a new concert bass drum to entertain the masses at concerts and shows across the county.
Leicester Mammas CIC, based in Cardinals Walk, Leicester, offers support, information and guidance to pregnant and new mothers.
The group has been handed £620 to help pay for a new series of training sessions for volunteers who
help users in the community.
Groby Juniors Football Club, Castle Donington Cobras and Countesthorpe Cricket Club were all handed grants for equipment and kit.
Ratby Library Group received £2,500 to buy tables and chairs, directly benefiting people from the local community.
Martyn Cheatle, Chief Executive of Central England Co-operative, said: “The Community Dividend reflects a key principle of our society, in that we reward the loyalty of our customers by investing in and supporting local communities.
“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.”
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 heading online and visiting https://communities.centralengland.coop/ or heading in store to pick up an application form.
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