Norfolk and Suffolk charities and groups handed share of £160,000 community fund
Posted by nathan lloyd | Published: 30/12/2016
Central England Co-operative can today reveal that it has helped change the lives of 89 groups and charities – by donating nearly £160,000 from its Community Dividend Fund in 2016.
A diverse range of projects picked from across 16 counties were handed a funding boost during the past 12 months, with the largest single amount given being £5,000.
Everyone from Scout groups to football clubs and churches to schools benefited from the fund that 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 from the Midlands to the East Coast.
Martyn Cheatle, Chief Executive of Central England Co-operative, said: “We have handed out nearly £160,000 to projects in our communities in 2016 and over £2 million since the scheme was established in 2007.
“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.
“The scheme helps to benefit a wide variety of projects, with grants between £100 to a £5,000, which will make the communities that we serve a better place for our members to live, work and visit.
“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.”
In the past 12 months, several projects have shared thousands of pounds in Norfolk and Suffolk as part of the community Dividend Fund.
Edgar Sewter Primary School, based in Halesworth, were handed £2,900 to pay for a brand new classroom computer.
The funding was applied for by the school in a bid to ensure that youngsters had the latest technology at their fingerprints.
Bungay Toddler Group were handed £700 to pay for equipment and books to encourage children’s imagination and learning.
Ruth Sparshott, from Bungay Toddler Group, said: “We are thrilled to have been awarded this funding as it will help breathe new life into our group. The toddler group has been running for 40 years and is largely self-funded. Many of our toys and equipment are looking dated and tired; this award will allow us to replace and update what we have to offer the children, particularly the mats and equipment for the babies. The award will support us to keep the group running and continue to provide a safe, fun and stimulating environment for another generation of children in our area.”
A project for pensioners in Suffolk was also supported, and can now take part in a unique project after it was handed a financial boost from the fund.
Halesworth Mens’ Shed provides space and equipment for retired men and women to help create all manner of items from chairs to tables as part of a special programme to combat loneliness.
The group was handed a £2,150 grant to pay for new tools for the initiative.
People can apply for funding by heading online and 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.
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 2016/17.
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 – PR officer - Central England Co-operative - 01543 414140
Email – publicrelations@centralengland.coop