Central England Co-op grant helps fund equipment at Stafford school’s new outdoor trim trail

Posted by james brindle | Published: 14/05/2019


Children at a Stafford school are enjoying more active and exciting break times after the ribbon was cut on a new £10,000 trim trail.

The project at Silkmore Primary Academy was opened after 18 months of fundraising and was boosted by a grant of £2,000 from Central England Co-operative’s Community Dividend Fund which was used to buy exciting pieces of equipment for the trim trail.

It is hoped the scheme will boost physical activity, mental, emotional and social skills, as well as providing somewhere fun for the pupils to spend their break times, lunch times and in after school clubs.

Victoria Mills, Community Links Leader at Silkmore Primary Academy, said: “It is wonderful to see the trim trail open after 18 months of fundraising, which saw us hold a wide array of events and seek support from local companies and organisations to help raise the money we needed.

“The idea came from our pupil governors and the children are already really loving using the trim trail, getting more active and being out in the fresh air which is really positive to see.

“I would like to thank Central England Co-op for their grant, as well as the all the other groups and companies who contributed such as the Rotary Club and Staffordshire County Council.”

The opening ceremony formed part of what has become a period of celebration for Silkmore Academy as it both celebrates its 70th birthday and its latest Ofsted inspection which saw it handed an outstanding rating.

James Knight, Member and Community Relations Officer at Central England Co-op, works closely with Silkmore Primary Academy delivering a range of educational workshops to pupils and was delighted to have been invited to the opening of the trim trail.

He said: “It was fantastic to see first-hand how our Community Dividend Fund helps such worthwhile projects within communities where we trade. We have a great relationship with Silkmore Primary Academy which is a matter of yards from our Silkmore Lane Supermarket.

“Community Dividend Fund grants like this showcase how being a member and continuing to support Central England Co-op helps us as a Society to continue to invest and fund vital projects in the local area.”

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

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 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 and James Brindle at Central England Co-operative on 01543 421390

Email – publicrelations@centralengland.coop