Co-op gives grants to the community

MORE than 10 community groups in and around Loughborough are set for a funding boost after the Co-op announced the latest beneficiaries of its membership scheme.

Loughborough Acrobatic Gymnastics Club, Falcon Support Services and East Leake Pre-School Playgroup are among those set to benefit.

When a Co-op member buys ownbrand products from food stores or a funeral plan or funeral from Funeralcare, they earn a five per cent reward for themselves with a further one per cent going to local good causes.

The average pay out to good causes in Loughborough from the first round of the membership scheme in April was £1,890. Groups that are set to benefit are: • Bishop Beveridge Club, Barrowupon- Soar - which would like a new boiler for the social club for the elderly

• Falcon Support Services, Loughborough - which would like help paying the running and repair costs of the bus

• Hall Orchard CE Primary School Parent Teacher and Friends Association, Barrow-upon-Soar - which wants to fund a new children’s kitchen to teach pupils to cook

• Castle Donington Volunteer Centre - wants to expand the GrowCookShare project into a community cafe

• Friends of the School Association, St Edward’s Primary School, Castle Donington - which is looking to redesign the playgroup and install new equipment

• Orchard Community Primary School Parents Association - would like to purchase planters so the school and community groups can carry out gardening activities

• Loughborough Acrobatic Gymnastics Club (CIO) - would like to buy new specialist equipment

• East Leake Pre-School Playgroup - wants to replace both the internal and external flooring

• Kegworth Community Library - wants to buy four public use computers

• Kegworth Village Association and Museum - needs to replace windows, carpets and heaters and wishes to rebrand as Kegworth Heritage Centre

• Shepshed Cricket Club - which is looking to buy a batting cage so it can continue to develop young players.

Shoppers who have joined the Co-op’s membership scheme can choose which of these causes they wish to support by logging on to the Co-op’s membership website at www.coop.co.uk/membership.

Money will be raised over a six-month period.

Chief membership officer at the Co-op, Rufus Olins, said: “The more people shop, the more we share and we’d really like to increase the amounts that we pay out.”