Community groups urged to apply for Tesco cash support

Three community groups in Bury have bagged a total of £30,000 from Tesco’s first Bags of Help funding pot.

And local organisations are being urged to apply for the second round of funding before the deadline of 3 June – grants of up to £12,000 are available.

Tesco is using the 5p bag charge in its stores in England, Wales and Scotland to pay for a large number of local projects to improve green spaces in communities. Projects that will get the green light as a result of the funding will include building new pocket parks, sports facilities, woodland walks and community gardens.

The money is being administered in Bury by the community charity Groundwork, which specialises in transforming communities and the local environment for the better.

For all the details, see:http://www.groundwork.org.uk/Sites/tescocommunityscheme

The three first round funding winners were:

• Strong Roots CIC – Community Kitchen Garden and Petting Farm (awarded £12,000)

This Community Interest Company will use the funds to transform space in a working Kitchen Allotment. This will provide produce for the catering team and offer a variety of physical and mental activities for older people (over 70), people living with dementia, carers, friends and family of Elmhurst's residents and members of the local and wider community. The outside space will have raised beds accessible for wheelchair users and people with restricted mobility where they can carry out activities to build their strength and improve their sense of wellbeing. It will also feature hanging baskets for herbs and fruit.

• Elms Bank Specialist Arts College – SP Sensory Integration and playscape (awarded £10,000)

The funds will improve the school grounds to include sensory gardens and playscapes for students in their specialist provision (ASD) unit as well as specialist community groups that use the facilities. The aim is to developing areas for children to have fun and explore their surroundings in a safe environment, and allow the school to develop partnerships with community organisations that cater to students and children with autism. These areas would therefore support the community and give the school’s students the chance to grow and learn.

• Persona Care and Support Ltd – The Top Green (awarded £8,000)

The grant will convert a mothballed bowling green into a fully disabled accessible cycle training track. This will be used by the on-site Wheels for All facility, as well as local children learning to ride, bikeability sessions and the community in general. This would allow disabled people to have a designated and realistic practice cycling zone which is safe and which they can use to learn and develop their cycling skills, knowledge and confidence.

Councillor Tamoor Tariq, Bury Council’s cabinet member for communities and safer neighbourhoods, said: “My heartiest congratulations to all three of these local organisations, who will use the funding they have won to support people of all ages in our community with their particular and special needs.

“This is very much the way forward, where voluntary groups take the lead in seeking grants from local, regional and national funding pots.

“I encourage all our local community groups to apply now for the second round of Tesco Bags for Help awards before the 3 June deadline.”

ENDS

Press release issued: 25 May 2016.