CHARITIES ACROSS COVENTRY, WARWICKSHIRE, SOUTH LEICESTERSHIRE AND NORTHAMPTONSHIRE BENEFIT FROM £4,000 GIVEAWAY

Dozens of charities and worthy causes across the trading area of the Heart of England Co-operative Society, the largest independent retailer in Coventry, Warwickshire, south Leicestershire and Northamptonshire, have shared a slice of funding worth more than £4,000.

The cash comes from the latest round of pledges through the Helping Hearts Award Scheme – in which every penny of the Society’s tobacco profits is ploughed back into communities across the area.

Among those to benefit are residents in the Willenhall area of Coventry. The Society has donated £1,000 to the Willenhall Advice Centre for use towards a computer for the centre’s new debt advisor. Co-ordinators at the advice centre made the application to Helping Hearts Award Scheme to help combat the growing problem of debt and unemployment in the area.

Others to benefit are Coventry Earlsdon Junior Football Club, which will use its £500 towards new kits and Camp Hill Community Football Team in Nuneaton, which will use its £350 towards equipment for the team.

The Coventry Scout Safeguarding Team received £200 which will be used towards a laptop or projector. The Team will use the new equipment to train scout leaders and to deliver internet safety training to 11 to 16-year-olds. Kenilworth Festival organisers
received £200 towards the running of a children’s sports event during the 10-day festival in May. And Diners Delight in Camp Hill, Nuneaton, will use its £150 towards a new freezer, allowing them to buy food in bulk and make home-made items for their over 50s luncheon club.

Other groups to benefit in the latest round of awards include the Biodiversity Action Plan Group in Bishops Itchington, Crick Crusaders Under 8s Football Team, Crick Darby and Joan Club, London Midlands Railway Club Association and 7th Coventry North and 41st Coventry South Brownies.

And Allesley Hall Primary School, the Coventry branch of the National Autistic Society, Coventry Refugee Centre, Penny Brohn Cancer Care, St Peter’s Church in Leamington, the 1st Whitestone Guides in Nuneaton, Bedworth Arts Centre, East Midlands Dog Rescue and Epilepsy Action in Leicestershire also benefited.

Jo Dyke, Community and Membership Adviser at the Heart of England Co-operative Society, said: “Once again we have had a number of applications from a great mix of groups and of course we are delighted to do what we can to help those groups.

“There is so much good work going on for the benefit of a wide range of groups across our community and we are pleased our Helping Hearts Award Scheme – which donates every penny of our tobacco profits to charities and worthy causes – can do so much to support it.”

Anyone who would like to make an application for a donation from Helping Hearts can pick up an application form from any one of the Society’s branches.

Alternatively contact Jo Dyke on 024 7638 2331.

* Among the charities and organisations to benefit from the latest round are:

RUGBY REGION:
Biodiversity Action Plan Group, Bishops Itchington - £250
To enable the group to purchase fruit trees to establish a small community orchard

Crick Crusaders Under 8s Football Team - £250
To help purchase a new football kit

Crick Darby and Joan Club - £100
To put towards raffle prizes to generate more money for the club

London Midland Railway Club Association – Help For Heroes - £100
To use towards a three week long raffle for the Help For Heroes

COVENTRY REGION
7TH Coventry North and 41st Coventry South Brownies - £50
To help with fundraising for a trip to Belgium

Allesley Hall Primary School - £50
To help with fundraising events for outside play equipment, i.e. skipping ropes, balls etc.

Coventry Branch of the National Autistic Society - £25
Towards raffle prize to raise funds to help provide information, support and social activities for people with autism.

Coventry Refugee Centre - £50 Fairtrade Goods
 Donation of goods to promote Fairtrade.

Coventry Scout Safeguarding Team - £200
For use towards a laptop or projector to help in their delivery of training to Scout Leaders and for the delivery of internet safety training to 11-16 year olds.

Kenilworth Festival - £200
A grant towards the running of a children’s sports event during the Kenilworth Festival which will take place over a 10 day period from 7th to 16th May.

Penny Brohn Cancer Care - £25
Towards a fundraising event.

St Peter Church – Fairtrade Committee - £50 Goods
To help promote Fairtrade at an Ethical Shopping and Family Fun Day.

Willenhall Advice Centre - £1000
For a computer which will be used by a new debt advisor at the centre.  With increased debt and unemployment families are struggling and are in need of support and advice.    
 
TOTAL £1650

NUNEATON REGION
1ST Whitestone Guides - £100
Towards events celebrating 100 years of the Guides.

Bedworth Arts Centre - £250
Funding towards art materials for children taking part in summer activities at the Art Centre during the holidays.

Tracy Hutt – (For British Heart Foundation) - £20
Fundraising quiz night and raffle.

Diners Delight Camp Hill Nuneaton - £150
To purchase a freezer to enable co-ordinators to bulk purchase and make home-made items for their luncheon club for the over 50s.

East Midlands Dog Rescue, Leicestershire - £100
To help build another kennel allowing the rescue of more dogs.

Epilepsy Action, Leicestershire - £150
To help people with epilepsy, families and carers to understand the condition by offering support and information.

TOTAL £770

OVERALL TOTAL    £ 3370