Tesco Bags of Help scheme passes £155,000 milestone in support for Worksop community groups and charities

Since its launch in 2016, Tesco’s Bags of Help grants in Worksop have gone towards supporting a wide range of groups including the Oasis community church, Prospect Hill Junior School and the Aurora Wellbeing Centre.

The sister Community Food Connection scheme has also donated 46,548 meals from redistributed surplus food to the town’s grassroots organisations.

Amy Roach, who manages the Gateford Road superstore, said: “All the staff across our store are so proud to be able to support the community directly in this way.

“The figures are excellent to see, and it shows the what impact five years of hard work and an ‘every little helps’ mentality can have on a community like ours.”

She added: “I’d like to say a particular thanks to our colleagues and customers who have made this possible. Every week we hear anecdotally, from our customers, just how important these initiatives are for the area.

“We hope to continue helping people in the local community for many years to come.”

One of the organisations to benefit most has been the charity From the Heart, which provides food, clothing, furniture and toys to the families of children and young people who are living in severe poverty.

The group received an emergency grant of £500 from the dedicated Covid-19 Bags of Help scheme to help alleviate the impact of the pandemic.

Co-ordinator Paige Denynor said: “We were absolutely thrilled that Tesco agreed to help us to support local families who needed it.

“We used our funding to provide play equipment for children who have special educational needs.”

She added: “The feedback that we received from the families was amazing. It was lovely to hear how much our support meant to them.”

During November and December, Bags of Help will be providing grants of up to £1,000 to support projects focused on supporting children and young people.

For information on how to apply, see tescobagsofhelp.org.uk.