The Meadows Children and Family Wing is a Cambridge-based charity which supports underprivileged local families by providing mental health support, child development and companionship services.
It aims to educate members on the significance of quality relationships between parents and children, while providing leisure facilities to improve social welfare.
The project was awarded £2,120 through the supermarket’s Bags of Help initiative in October 2017.
It used the funding to transform its unused outdoor space into a stunning vegetable garden, which was designed by families. Members also have the opportunity to harvest the vegetables themselves and have it for lunch.
Michele Wright, Project Manager at Meadows Children & Family Wing, said: “Many of our members are extremely isolated, which acts as a barrier to being socially active within the community.
“By providing a community atmosphere for our members to spend quality time together, we are able to improve life chances and reduce feelings of isolation. Last year alone, we were able to help 800 people.
“It’s so rewarding to see our families getting out and enjoying the garden. It has made a huge difference, and I would strongly encourage other charities and community groups in Cambridge to apply.”
Keith Jackson, Tesco’s Bags of Help Manager added: “It’s wonderful to see this project come to life, showing first-hand how a Bags of Help grant can have a positive impact on local communities.
“The service that The Meadows Children and Family Wing provides for vulnerable families is hugely commendable, and we’re proud to have played a small part in the great work it does for the area.”
Tesco works in partnership with Groundwork to deliver its Bags of Help funding scheme, which sees funding awarded to thousands of local community projects every year.
Since launching in 2015, Bags of Help has provided more than 379 community projects with £1,082,672 million of funding in Cambridgeshire.
Tesco customers get the chance to vote for three different groups every time they shop using the blue token given to them at checkouts. Every other month, when votes are collected, three groups in each of Tesco’s regions will be awarded funding of between £4,000 and £1,000.
So far Bags of Help has awarded over £75 million to more than 25,000 community projects.
Tesco customers get the chance to vote for three different groups every time they shop using the blue token given to them at checkouts. Every other month, when votes are collected, three groups in each of Tesco’s regions will be awarded funding of £1,000 - £4,000.
For more information please visit: www.tesco.com/bagsofhelp
Another scheme available to local community groups is Tesco’s Community Food Connection, delivered in partnership with food redistribution charity FareShare, donates surplus food to more than 7,000 local charities and community groups. The programme operates in all Tesco stores and has provided more than 30 million meals since 2016.
Charities and community groups interested in registering for Community Food Connection, can find out more at www.tesco.com/community-food-connection