Six groups across Cambridgeshire handed £7,000 funding boost thanks to Central England Co-op
Posted by rob smyth | Published: 08/10/2019
Air ambulance lifesavers and bookworms were among the groups who have shared a £7,000 community grant in Cambridgeshire thanks to Central England Co-operative.
Six organisations and charities shared the payout, with a total of over £44,000 handed out to 30 good causes across 16 counties.
Lifesavers from Magpas Air Ambulance will be wearing brand new flight suits when heading across the East of England and beyond to support the emergency services after receiving £2,000.
Magpas Air Ambulance Director of Operations Natalie Church said: “Magpas Air Ambulance is extremely grateful to Central England Co-operative for granting us £2,000. The funds will go towards brand new flight suits for the Magpas Air Ambulance advanced medical team.
“The new flight suits are made using the most technologically advanced materials – which include tear resistant and fire and chemical retardant properties – meaning the suits will provide our medics with the ultimate protection in all scenarios.
“Our specially-trained doctors and paramedics never know what emergency they are going to be called to next and regularly end up working in very challenging environments; from the side of motorways, to the middle of fields or cramped spaces such as damaged cars. However the new flight suits are an integral piece of equipment, that will provide the best possible protection and keep them safe when treating critically ill and injured patients; allowing them to perform lifesaving procedures and treatments (usually only available in hospital) at the scene, when every second counts.”
St Faith’s Church, in Gaywood, has been given £1,900 for furniture for a support café that will help people in care in the local community.
Bookworms at Deeping School will be able to enjoy a range of new books thanks to a grant of £1,000 to restock their library.
Helen Morgan, from the school, said: “Reading is a bedrock of all learning, an essential life skill and a gateway to a better quality of life. Here at the Deeping School our vision is that our students will grow into well-rounded individuals, equipped with the knowledge and skills they need to lead happy, meaningful lives within society. Funding from Central England Co-op enables us to do this.”
Whittlesford United Football Club will be hitting the back of the net in brand new goals after being handed £1,000 for new goals.
St Neots Woodcraft Folk will be able to have even more fun outdoor after being awarded a £600 grant for a new tent and the Peterborough branch of the organisation will be tidying up the local after being handed £500 to support litter picking.
Pippa Gardner, Project Co-ordinator at Woodcraft Folk, said: “We are delighted to have received funding for litter picking equipment which will help our groups in Peterborough and Thetford to take forward their local social action projects and tidy up their communities.”
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: Members of groups in the Cambridgeshire 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