Seven groups in Derbyshire share £7,340 in 2019 thanks to the Central England Co-op Community Dividend Fund

Posted by rob smyth | Published: 26/12/2019

Seven groups, good causes and charities across Derbyshire shared £7,340 during 2019 thanks to a donation from Central England Co-op’s Community Dividend Fund.

A diverse range of projects were handed a funding boost during the past 12 months, with the largest single amount given being £5,000.

In total, 114 organisations spread out across 16 counties shared a funding pot of £177,885

In Derbyshire, visitors to Willington Nature Reserve are now able to take in everything from ducks to dragonflies all year round after the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust was awarded £2,000 to pay for a brand new log cabin. The building is used as an all-weather, visitor information centre.

Youngsters in Chesterfield and north east Derbyshire can now get their first taste of learning to play music after £1,250 was handed to Ireland Colliery Chesterfield Band to buy plastic instruments. This forms part of a scheme aimed at getting children interested in playing brass instruments in a cost-effective manner.

Tots and Tea playgroup, based in Wirksworth, was handed £350 to pay for a range of different supplies to help support the launch of several different craft based activities for youngsters aged up to five years old.

Dozens of groups in Wirksworth who benefit from the parish hall, in St Mary’s Gate, are now enjoying new tables and chairs following a donation of £1,140.

Fusion Space, a not-for-profit organisation that supports children and families living in deprived areas, has used £500 to support a range of physical activity, art and music workshops in Alvaston.

Members of Derby Co-operative Bowls Club have used £1,600 to pay for a lifesaving defibrillator, which will be available for use by the club and the local community in an emergency.

Derbyshire Family Panel, based at Derbyshire Magistrates’ Court in St Mary’s Gate, has been awarded £500 to buy the presents that are given to the adopted child to mark the life-changing moment of becoming part of a new family following a celebration hearing at the court house.

The award will support hearings in Derby and Chesterfield and will ensure that Derbyshire Family Panel can offer the service for up to two years.

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 from the Midlands to the East Coast.

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

Debbie Robinson, Chief Executive of Central England Co-operative, said: “We have handed out £177,885 to projects in our communities in 2019 – with over £7,000 of that being right here in Derbyshire.

 “The Community Dividend Fund 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, which will make the local area 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 Fund scheme during the coming 12 months.”

People can apply for funding by visiting https://communities.centralengland.coop/

Notes to editors

Picture caption: Groups from across Derbyshire celebrate being awarded grants from Central England Co-op’s Community Dividend Fund in 2019.

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