Six groups in the West Midlands handed £8,000 funding boost thanks to Central England Co-op
Posted by rob smyth | Published: 16/01/2020
Six groups in the West Midlands have shared an £8,000 community grant thanks to Central England Co-operative.
A mix of schools, sports clubs and community groups shared the payout, with a total of over £44,000 handed out to 25 good causes across 16 counties from the retailer’s Community Dividend Fund.
Square Peg Activities, based in Sutton Coldfield, is an organisation that works with youngsters in additional needs in an effort to increase their social skills.
It has been awarded £2,000 to buy vital sensory play equipment to support its work in the community.
Sharon Needham, from the organisation, said: “The grant from Central England Co-op Community Dividend Fund will mean we can offer the very best of service to disabled children across the Midlands.
“Our focus is on alleviating and preventing social isolation, we do this by delivering leisure services which are appropriate for children with disabilities and/or additional needs that most families take for granted.
“This means that families are able to participate in fun activities in a safe, non challenging environment which is entirely designed for their needs.”
A total of £2,700 will be used by St Laurence Church Infant School, based in Northfield, to pay for new books and furniture for its library.
Kate Hewson, Head of the Parent and Teacher Association, said: “We are grateful to receive this grant. It means that we can support our school and children’s growth for the future through engaging children in reading.
“The library can now grow as a hub for the school community, creating a safe space for vulnerable children and an engaging space for all to enjoy.”
Community Organisation Empower. Promote. Inspire. Consultancy (EPIC) will use £1,500 for two new laptops and a projector to support a project which aims to help tackle deprivation and unemployment across the Tyseley area of Birmingham.
Najma Begum, from EPIC, said: “This will support our project so much in reaching out for our youth crime reduction and other workshops we do to empower communities.”
Silverdale Junior Football Club and Eccleshall Cricket Club will both be taking to the pitch in a new kit next season after being awarded £750.
Northern Star Community Arts, based in Chelmsley Wood, has been handed £478 to pay for materials that will support a weekly stich, knit and craft group.
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: Groups from across the West Midlands 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