Can you offer Emmaus Bags of Help?

Homelessness charity Emmaus Mossley is bidding to bag a massive cash boost from the Tesco Bags of Help initiative.

Tesco teamed up with Groundwork to launch its community funding scheme, which sees grants of £4,000, £2,000 and £1,000 raised from carrier bag sales in Tesco stores awarded to local community projects.

Three groups in every Tesco region have been shortlisted to receive the cash award and shoppers are being invited to head along to Tesco stores to vote for who they think should take away the top grant.

Emmaus Mossley is one of the groups on the shortlist.

The charity is appealing for votes to help transform their community garden – creating an improved space for relaxation and areas to grow fresh produce for use in the community kitchen and café.

Alison Hill, Director of Emmaus Mossley, said: “Our improved community garden will create a more welcoming space for members of the Emmaus Mossley community to enjoy and a better base for us to grow fresh food.

"The project will give local volunteers and partners an opportunity to work with our beneficiaries on a physical project that will have long-lasting health and wellbeing benefits.”

Voting is open in all Tesco stores in November and customers will cast their vote using a token given to them at the check-out in store each time they shop.

You can vote for the Emmaus Mossley Community Garden project at Tesco Extra in Oldham, Tesco Superstores in Chadderton and Greenfield, and the Tesco Express stores in Ashton, Clarksfield and Shaw.

Tesco’s Bags of Help project has already delivered over £60 million to more than 18,000 projects across Britain. Tesco customers get the chance to vote for three different groups every time they shop.

Every other month, when votes are collected, three groups in each of Tesco’s regions will be awarded funding.

Alec Brown, Head of Community at Tesco, said: “Bags of Help has been a fantastic success and we’ve been overwhelmed by the response from customers.

"It’s such a special scheme because it’s local people who decide how the money will be spent in their community.

"There are some fantastic projects on the shortlists and we can’t wait to see these come to life in hundreds of communities.”

Groundwork’s National Chief Executive, Graham Duxbury, said: “Bags of Help continues to enable local communities up and down Britain to improve the local spaces and places that matter to them.

"The diversity of projects that are being funded shows that local communities have a passion to create something great in their area.

"We are pleased to be able to be a part of the journey and provide support and encouragement to help local communities thrive.”

Funding is available to community groups and charities looking to fund local projects that bring benefits to communities.

Anyone can nominate a project and organisations can apply online.

To find out more visit: www.tesco.com/bagsofhelp 

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