The Spring Charity calls out for votes to get a share of Tesco’s Stronger Starts funding
The Spring Charity is bidding for a cash boost from the Tesco Stronger Starts scheme. Stronger Starts provides grant awards of up to £1,500 to local community projects, with a particular focus on children and young people. Three groups in every community have been shortlisted to receive grant awards and customers can vote for the group they think should take away the top award in their local store.
The Spring Charity Family Breakfast Club. The Spring Charity is one of the groups on the shortlist in Northampton.
Tracey Hamilton, Charity Manager, said, “No one should start their day hungry. We run a family breakfast club for families and residents to tackle food poverty. We aim to ensure all families have access to a healthy start to their day.”
Voting is open in all Tesco stores from October to mid-January 2025. Customers will cast their vote using a blue token given to them at the check-out each time they shop.
Tesco’s Stronger Starts – previously known as Tesco Community Grants - has already provided over £110 million to more than 60,000 projects across Britain.
This £5m Stronger Starts grant programme, delivered in partnership with Groundwork UK, helps schools and children’s groups provide nutritious food and healthy activities that support young people’s physical health and mental well-being, such as breakfast clubs or snacks, and sports equipment for after-school clubs.
Claire de Silva, Tesco UK Head of Communities and Local Media, said: “Helping schools and children’s groups access the food and resources they need is vitally important in getting children a stronger start in life. Children with enough food have more energy, better concentration, and ultimately achieve more too."
Graham Duxbury, Groundwork’s UK Chief Executive, said: “As a community charity, we have seen first-hand how schools and other groups supporting young people have been playing a much bigger role in ensuring children are getting a healthy start to the day and getting access to spaces and services to support physical activity and mental health. Family budgets are tight, and school budgets are tight, but it’s so important that children stay fed, fit and focused, so we’re delighted to be able to prioritise these activities alongside Tesco with the Stronger Starts programme.”