Thirteen groups in Cambridgeshire share £13,340 in 2019 thanks to the Central England Co-op Community Dividend Fund

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

Thirteen groups, good causes and charities across Cambridgeshire shared £13,340 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 Cambridgeshire, lifesavers from Magpas Air Ambulance will be wearing brand new flight suits when heading across the East of England and beyond to support the emergency services after receiving £2,000.

The Yaxley Community Allotment will have a brand new poly tunnel to support its ongoing good work in the area thanks to a grant of £1,090.

Deeping Men’s Group loan items out for a variety of reasons ranging from people recuperating after being ill to people going on holiday. It has been awarded £1,000 for a new scooter.

Members of Bourne Town Bowls Club will use £1,500 to pay for a lifesaving defibrillator, which will also be able to be used by the nearby swimming pool and cricket club.

Wheatfields Nursery for Pre-School Education, based in St Ives, will use its £700 share to pay for a range of dual-language books to help cater for a variety of youngsters from ethnic backgrounds.

St Faith’s Church, in Gaywood, has been given £1,900 for furniture for a support café that will help people in care in the local community.

St Neots Woodcraft Folk will be able to have even more fun outdoor after being awarded a £600 grant for a new tent and the Peterborough branch of the organisation will be tidying up the local after being handed £500 to support litter picking.

Friends of Monkfield Park Primary School and Deeping School have been awarded grants to pay for new books.

ICA Sports Football Club, Deeping Rangers Football Club and Whittlesford United Football Club will use funds to pay for new kit and equipment.

Everyone from schools and churches to support groups and volunteer organisations benefited from the fund that 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 £13,340 of that being right here in Cambridgeshire.

 “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 Cambridgeshire 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