Call-out for groups in Bury St Edmunds to apply for funding

Charities and organisations in Bury St Edmunds are being given the chance to share in over £100,000 of funding this November and December.

Groups supporting serving personnel, veterans and their families across 15 locations with military bases are being invited to take part in a dedicated round of Tesco’s community grant scheme, Bags of Help.

The initiative, which is run in partnership with community charity Groundwork, sees the money raised from the sale of carrier bags awarded to thousands of local community projects every year. This November, the supermarket is putting a special focus on armed forces in our garrison towns.

Nominations are being invited from August for local military charities and for groups benefiting the armed forces communities.

The shortlist for each town will be revealed in late October and voting will commence in selected stores in November and December. Customers will cast their vote using a token given to them at the check-out each time they shop and awards of £4,000, £2,000 and £1,000 will be granted in each area.

Since launching in 2015, the scheme has awarded more than £56 million to more than 16,000 projects all over the UK .

Alec Brown, Tesco’s Head of Community, said: “Tesco’s founder Sir Jack Cohen established the business with his WWI demob money and supporting our Armed Forces has always been important to us. At this time of year, especially, the nation really comes together to show its support and I am delighted that we have been able to create this special Bags of Help funding round to give a boost to charities and organisations serving our garrison towns.”

Groundwork’s National Chief Executive, Graham Duxbury, said: “This is a great opportunity for local people to vote for projects delivered by charities and community groups that have a special significance to their town. We look forward to seeing the creative ways in which local groups address the needs of serving personnel and veterans and support the wider community in garrison towns.”

Anyone can nominate a project, and organisations and groups looking to register their interest for the special funding round should visit www.tesco.com/bagsofhelp.

 Tesco will be supporting armed forces charities in 15 voting regions including Aldershot,  Bury St Edmunds, Catterick Garrison, Colchester, Edinburgh, Greenock, High Wycombe,  Kensington, Lincoln, Plymouth, Portsmouth,  Salisbury, Sandhurst,  Tidworth and Trowbridge.