Specially created film showcases how new play area will help Lichfield schoolchildren keep fit

Posted by nathan lloyd | Published: 09/03/2017


Youngsters at a Lichfield school can now keep fit and active whatever the weather thanks to the success of a Central England Co-operative Community Dividend Fund grant.

Christ Church C of E Primary School, based in Christchurch Lane, were handed £5,000 as part of an ambitious project to create an all-weather outdoor area last year.

The scheme was based around enhancing learning for pupils outside the classroom and also to supplement the focus on PE and extra-curricular clubs at the school.

Now, several months on, the new play area has been completed and is already helping youngsters enjoy sports ranging from football to basketball all year round.

Head teacher Julie Pilmore revealed more about why the new play area was vital for youngsters as part of a specially created film by Central England Co-operative.

She said: “Previously, before we had the new play area, it was all concrete and not very safe for the children. It wasn’t really an enticing area to play.

“We approached Central England Co-operative for funding because the project we had in mind was looking at making sure the flooring was soft and also to give a bigger space for the children to play in.

“The children absolutely love it because it allows them to play in different types of weathers and enjoy the area. The reaction from the children has been great.

“I would recommend the Community Dividend Fund scheme as it provides a link from Central England Co-operative to the community. I think this is key at the moment with schools as we need to look for funding everywhere. It is about thinking about a project that will enhance the lives of those involved and then applying for funding to help make that happen.”

To celebrate the launch of the new play area, two lucky youngsters were picked to star in the film created to showcase the success of the project and the Community Dividend Fund.

Maddie, eight, and Martin, five, took time out of lessons to talk about why they love the new play area and also have a quick game of football to test it out.

Maddie said: “It is three times the size that it used to be. I think it is really fun and really enjoyable. “Every time it is our turn to have a go on the play area we all come rushing out.”

Martin said: “I really like the play area because if you fall over it doesn’t hurt you – which is amazing.”

See Julie, Maddie and Martin talk about how the Community Dividend Fund helped Christ Church C of E Primary School by watching the specially created film at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7H1PpldiLeM

Grants of between £100 and £5,000 are handed out every three months to a wide range of applicants.

The fund guarantees that 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.

In the past year, a total of 89 charities and organisations have shared nearly £160,000 for a wide range of projects.

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

The embed code below can be used to use the video on your website:

 

 

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 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 Newlife Foundation for Disabled Children 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 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