Groups share bag tax cash

Three groups in Rutherglen and Cambuslang will share £30,000 after a vote by supermarket shoppers.

Bankhead Primary School’s green project team were the big winners, with shoppers deciding they should receive £12,000 from Tesco’s £11.5 million carrier bag charge fund.

The Salvation Army 1st Stop project at the Eva Burrows Centre will receive £10,000 and Rutherglen Tennis Club’s Return to Splendour project will pick up £8000.

Tony McElroy from Tesco said: “Bags of Help has been a fantastic success.

“We have been overwhelmed by the response of our customers and the feedback has been brilliant.

“We can’t wait to see the money being put to use bringing these projects to life.”

Voting ran in stores from February 27 until March 6 and the company estimated that around eight million votes were cast in stores up and down the UK.

Emma Halliday of Greenspace Scotland said:“We have been delighted to have been involved in the Bags of Help initiative.

“It has been wonderful to follow the projects through the application process to the final announcement.”

Applications for the next round of Bags of Help funding will open on April 18. As well as applying directly, suggestions for projects and sites can also be nominated by people living locally.