People in West Yorkshire can apply for up to £5,000 in free funding from Central England Co-op
Posted by rob smyth | Published: 03/08/2017
Community groups, charities and good causes in West Yorkshire are being urged to apply for grants of up to £5,000 from a special community fund.
Central England Co-operative’s Community Dividend Fund is appealing for members to apply after they became part of the Society following the successful merger with Wooldale Co-operative Society.
The merger means members of the three stores in New Mill, Thongsbridge, and Wooldale, in Holme Valley, can apply for a grant of between £100 and £5,000 to support their area in a wide variety of ways.
Martyn Cheatle, Chief Executive of Central England Co-operative, said: “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.
Already this year over £100,000 has been shared between over 50 good causes.
Most recently three groups in Yorkshire shared nearly £5,000 to pay for everything from new library books to vital equipment.
All Saints Catholic College, based in Huddersfield, was awarded £2,000 for a range of new library books designed to help people who struggle with dyslexia and dual languages.
Susan Kaye, school librarian, said: “This grant made our year and will make such a big difference to our students.”
The school is located in Bradley, Huddersfield, and the area is among the top 10% most deprived areas in England. We are totally committed to improving literacy levels.
“The money will be used to purchase a selection of fiction books that break down the barriers that can stop kids getting into reading including those with dyslexia or visual stress,” added Susan.
A total of £1,532 was awarded to Denby Cricket Club to help pay for vital repairs needed to fencing and the well-used clubhouse.
Friends of Shepley Charitable Trust will use £1,200 to help spruce up parts of the village centre with new plants and flower beds.
People can apply for funding by 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.
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
Photo caption: There were smiles all round as groups from across West Yorkshire collected their Central England Co-operative Community Dividend Fund grant.
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 gross sales of £927 million in 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 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 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 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 / Heather Clapton at Central England Co-operative on 01543 414140
Email –publicrelations@centralengland.coop