East of England Co-op offers £100K to local community groups in Essex
30th May 2022
Local community groups and charities in Essex are being encouraged to apply for a share of £100,000 on offer from the East of England Co-op.
Grants of between £1,000 and £5,000 from the ‘East of England Co-op’s Community Cares Fund’ are available to local voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations that deliver projects supporting community action, food justice or mental health and wellbeing.
The fund, which opened for applications on Monday 30 May, was launched by the retailer in 2020 to support groups that create services or activities which have a positive impact in their local community. To date, the East of England Co-op has so far given away £67,000 across Essex, supporting more than 50,000 people.
Organisations in the county which have previously benefitted from the Co-op’s Community Cares Fund include the Dance Network Association CIC for a social dance project aimed at older adults living with dementia and Parkinson’s disease; and the Colchester & Tendring Youth Enquiry Service to support the counselling of young people whose mental health has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Commenting on the launch of the fund, East of England Co-op Community Development Manager, Kat Reading, said: “As a co-operative we’re committed to supporting our local communities and helping them to thrive. Our previous funding rounds have been extremely popular so we know times are incredibly challenging at the moment for community groups and the local people they support, but it is these small organisations that have the biggest impact.
“Thanks to the generous support of our members, who have kindly donated their dividend points along with cash donations, we’re able to support even more fantastic projects across the region.”
The East of England Co-op’s Community Cares Fund is delivered in partnership with the Essex Community Foundation.
What can be supported:
Funding applications should address at least one of these key areas:
- Community action– including the development of physical and virtual spaces and services that bring communities together
- Mental health and wellbeing
- Food justice for all– including access to, and sharing knowledge about good quality, nutritious food.
This fund is to support organisations in Colchester, Braintree, Maldon, Tendring. Near to their shops: Store finder – East of England Co-op
How to apply:
Due to the high level of applications we have receive, the deadline for this funding programme is now 5pm on on Tuesday 21 June. Grant decisions will be made in August 2022.
To check your eligibility and for the application form, click here.
If you have any questions or would like to discuss your work in advance of applying, please call the ECF grants team on 01245 356018.