Two groups in Burton and South Derbyshire handed £4,000 funding boost thanks to Central England Co-op
Posted by rob smyth | Published: 08/07/2019
A £4,000 grant from Central England Co-op’s Community Dividend Fund will help pay for a new log cabin for people to enjoy wildlife and specialised motorised wheelchairs for sport in Burton.
Visitors to Willington Nature Reserve will soon be 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 will be used as an all-weather visitor information centre.
Carol Phillips, senior grants and corporate officer at Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, said: “Derbyshire Wildlife Trust is delighted to receive this wonderful donation from Central England Co-op.
“As a charity that gets no guaranteed income, every penny really does count for us. The money will enable us to provide an indoor education and community centre at our Willington reserve.
“This former gravel quarry in the Trent Valley is teeming with bird life all year round, from ducks in winter to sand martins and common terns in summer. Dragonflies and damselflies are plentiful here too.
“With lots of viewing platforms and a feeding station this reserve already attracts many members of the public – the funding will help us to ensure that many more people engage with nature and protect it for future generations.”
St Georges Knights Powerchair Football Club, based at Shobnall Leisure Centre, provides sessions for people with physical disabilities to participate in sport.
The group currently has two powerchairs and will use a grant of £2,000 towards buying two more.
The club hopes the new equipment will allow them to start new training sessions and therefore recruit new members and provide them with them opportunity to play the sport on a more regular basis.
The groups were among 36 good causes across 16 counties to share a payout of £44,000.
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/
Central England Co-operative Store Manager Paul Barratt said: “We are delighted that these great projects and good causes have been handed a grant for the fantastic work they do in the community.
“Community Dividend Fund grants like this showcase how by being a member and shopping at your local Central England Co-op store allows us as a Society to continue to invest and fund vital projects in the area.”
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