A COMMUNITY group from Caersws has received a donation of £500 from the Co-operative’s Community Fund.
Kids Kitchen from Caersws landed £500 to help start an after-school club that focuses on healthy eating.
The Community Fund is created by members of the Co-operative Group who elect to donate all, or part, of their twice-yearly dividend payments directly to the scheme.
The funds are then shared with local community projects and groups, such as Kids Kitchen, across the country.
Alison Connah, from Kids Kitchen, said: “We are extremely grateful for this grant from the Co-operative, which has helped us to set up an ongoing project enabling primary age children to learn and understand the importance of healthy living and how it can be made exciting and fun.”
Clair Stevens, membership officer for the Co-operative in Mid Wales, said: “Because our members own the business, they get a share in any of the profits we make.
"It’s a scheme we’re very proud of, not only because it gives us the chance to thank members for shopping with us, but because so many people choose to give something back to local communities.”
Co-operative members receive a payment twice a year based on the points they earn when they trade at any of the group’s businesses, including the Co-operative Food, Travel, Pharmacy and Funeralcare, as well as the Co-operative Bank, Smile and the Co-operative Insurance.
“There is around £200,000 available in this region, each year, from the Community Fund, and we welcome applications from local groups and projects for £100 to £2,000.”
Community Fund application forms are available online at www.co-operative.coop/communityfund or by phoning 0844 262 4001.
Awards are allocated by local Co-operative members’ committees, based on a set of values and principles such as social responsibility and caring for others.