Help Lewes community groups bag a share of £11.5m

The supermarket has teamed up with Groundwork to launch its Bags of Help initiative, which sees grants of £12,000, £10,000 and £8,000 – all raised from the 5p bag levy – being awarded to environmental and community projects in Lewes.

And this month shoppers are being invited to head along to their local store and vote for who should take-away which grant award.

The groups to benefit from the Tesco grant in Lewes are: Nevill Residents Association, Beechwood Hall and Rural Park and Wallands Community Primary School.

Voting is open in store from February 27 until March 6. Customers will be able to vote using a token given to them at the check-out in store.

Caroline Silke, head of community at Tesco, said: “The money raised by customers through the carrier bag levy will go directly to the local community through our Bags of Help initiative. We’re really looking forward to seeing how our customers will vote in Lewes and these three great local projects coming to life.”

The bag charge was introduced in England on October 5, having already raised millions for good causes in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Groundwork’s national chief executive, Graham Duxbury said: “Bags of Help is a fantastic initiative which will make a real difference to the communities it helps.

“The number of nominations and applications for grants has been incredible. The final three were chosen by panels of experts who live and work in each of the Tesco stores and regions. This initiative really is putting back into the local environment, helping the community at a grass-roots level.”

Nominations and applications for the next round of Bags of Help funding will open in April. As well as applying direct, groups can also be nominated by people living locally.

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