TESCO is marking its centenary by offering community projects across Powys the chance to bag their share of a huge £100,000 funding pot.

As part of the supermarket’s anniversary celebrations, community organisations from across Mid Wales are being invited to share in the funding during two special Bags of Help voting rounds.

Bags of Help, run in partnership with Groundwork, sees funding awarded to thousands of local community projects every year. So far in Powys, Bags of Help has awarded £433,428 to 163 local projects.

Throughout July and August the first of two special funding rounds will concentrate on groups delivering health and wellbeing benefits, with a particular focus on groups tackling cancer, heart disease and diabetes, in line with Tesco’s National Health Partnership.

Applications are open to all community projects bringing benefits across the region, with Tesco colleagues involved in shortlisting three applications in each area.

Customers are then invited to vote for which group they’d like to receive grants of £25,000, £15,000 and £10,000, casting their votes using blue tokens handed out at checkout points.

Another voting round will launch in November, with even more projects sharing in the cash over the course of the year.

The funding will reach over 30 regions during each round, with an incredible £3,300,000 up for grabs.

Alec Brown, Tesco’s Head of Community, said:

“In 2019 we are celebrating a century of delivering great value for our customers. And what better way to celebrate this occasion than by using our flagship community grant scheme Bags of Help to support even more groups and organisations who are helping to make a difference across Britain.”

The scheme will run in partnership with community charity Groundwork. Groundwork’s National Chief Executive, Graham Duxbury, said:

“This is an exciting time for Bags of Help, with many more communities given the opportunity to apply for larger amounts of funding that can make a positive, long-lasting legacy where they live. We look forward to seeing a wide-range of innovative projects that boost the health and wellbeing of our communities spring to life across Britain.”

Anyone can nominate a project for Bags of Help and Bags of Help Centenary Grants, and organisations and groups looking to find out more or apply should visit www.tesco.com/bagsofhelp.

Bags of Help

· Tesco Bags of Help scheme allows customer to choose which community projects they would like to see benefit from the sale of carrier bags.

· Customers can vote with a blue token every time they shop in our stores.

· Three projects are shortlisted to go to the customer vote in one of 575 voting regions across England, Scotland and Wales.

· At the end of each two month period the votes from each store are counted and collated and grants of up to £4,000, £2,000 and £1,000 are awarded.

· So far Bags of Help have awarded over £67 million to more than 21,000 community projects.

Tesco’s National Health Partnership

· Tesco’s National Health Partnership aims to support colleagues and customers to live healthier lives. Working in partnership with health charities and experts, the supermarket promotes healthy living and supports prevention and cure for the biggest health challenges we face.

· Find out more online: sustainability.tescoplc.com/sustainability/health/topics/partnerships/