£63,000 charity windfall

Christmas came early for local causes across Paisley this week when the Co- op revealed a £ 63,000 festive funding boost.

Cash will be shared by 15 organisations, all of whom are making a difference to communities.

These include RAMH – Recovery Across Mental Health, Canine Partners in Hawkhead, and John G Fleming Bowling Club.

This is the latest round of pay outs from the fund generated by over 37,000 Co-op members in the town, and means overall the Coop has invested £130,000 in 44 groups in Paisley since the membership scheme launched in September 2016.

Co- op members, who receive a five per cent reward for themselves with a further one per cent going to local causes when they buy ownbrand products, have a say in how the money is allocated, and are encouraged to select the organisations they wish to support online.

Rebe cca Bi r k b e c k , director of community engagement at the Co- op, said: “Since the launch of the local community fund our members have helped 12,000 organisations to make a positive difference in their neighbourhoods, and in the last 12 months alone we have invested £19m in local causes.

“The fund is now supporting a wide variety of local organisations, from village halls and support groups to education providers and neighbourhood watch schemes, all of which are helping to make Paisley a better, happier, and healthier place to live.”

The Co-op says it has 4.65 million active members, including 1,800,000 recruited since the new scheme began in September 2016, and more than one million have already chosen which local group they want to support.