East of England Co-op donates £100,000 to help sustain local warm hubs and foodbanks through the winter
29th November 2022
The largest independent retailer in the east of England has donated £100,000 to helping people in the region keep warm and fed this winter. The East of England Co-op has re-directed funds from its Christmas marketing budget to go directly to local warm hubs and foodbanks, helping local people in need of support this winter.
Working with Suffolk, Norfolk and Essex Community Foundations, £70,000 will be split among warm hubs. Warm hubs have been set-up to provide those who need it with a warm space, food and drink. Critically, the hubs also provide guidance and signposting to additional support for people using the service.
The remaining £30,000 will be donated to 25 local foodbanks. The donations will be given out in foodbank parcels in the form of vouchers which can be used to pay for items such as groceries, electric and gas top-ups from the East of England Co-op.
The money would typically be spent on marketing leaflets featuring the East of England Co-op’s Christmas offers, usually distributed to 0.5m homes across the region. The donation will instead benefit thousands of local people through Christmas and into January, February and beyond.
Niall O’Keeffe, joint chief executive of the East of England Co-op said: “Warm hubs have been created in the face of spiralling energy costs and demand on foodbanks this winter is expected to be unprecedented. In these difficult times we have been compelled to do more than we have ever done before. Re-directing our marketing spend to help people directly was morally the right decision knowing the difference the money will make to those most in need in our community.
“We are working closely with the Community Foundations to ensure this is a donation not just for Christmas, but that will continue to make a difference right through the winter and in particular the tough first few months of the year when there is typically a fall in charitable giving.”
The east of England is a world leader in clean energy generation with figures recently released by GENERATE showing that 32% of UK homes are powered by clean energy from our region. Despite so much energy on our doorstep, it is estimated more than half (51%) of households in the east will be living in fuel poverty by January 2023, ramping up demand on warm hubs.
Jackie Pobjoy, business manager at Walton Community Centre, one of the facilities benefiting from the donation commented: “We will be offering food, warmth, practical support and so much more, all under one roof, creating an accessible space which anyone can use without fear of judgement. Running a warm hub has the potential to make a huge difference in our community, particularly in Walton where there are no other services like this. We are extremely grateful to the East of England Co-op for their financial support, which will directly benefit so many people locally who are having to make a tough choice between heating or eating. It is a hard time for everybody right now.”
Henry Wilson from Reach Haverhill foodbank commented: “As the nights draw in and it is getting colder, more families need help from our foodbank than at any other time in our 14-year history. We have already fed more children in 2022 than any other year and we still have 6 weeks to go. Therefore, the very generous donation of vouchers for food and heating is incredibly welcome. We value the dignity that vouchers afford people, giving them far more choice and empowering families who find themselves facing a financial crisis and hardship.”
In 2020 the East of England Co-op launched the Foodbank Donation Gift Card. The card can be purchased in store and then be given as a gift at Christmas with 100% of the £5 purchase price going to local foodbanks. The card contains a message of thanks for helping local people in crisis. East of England Co-op customers are being encouraged to support however they can either through donations at the till point, by purchasing the Foodbank Donation Gift Card for someone or donating groceries at collection points in store. Niall added: “We want to make it easy for our customers to give back to their community and ethical gifting is an excellent way to do that.”
The marketing budget re-direct ends a significant year of giving for the East of England Co-op, which donated more than £400,000 to local charities and good causes in 2022.
For more information visit www.eastofengland.coop.
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More than £43,000 in grants awarded to community organisations across Essex
4th February 2022
The region’s largest independent retailer, the East of England Co-op, has awarded £43,978 in grants to 16 organisations supporting the local community in Essex, in the latest round of funding from its Community Cares Fund. The funding is expected to support nearly 20,000 local people.
The East of England Co-op set up the fund in April 2020 in response to the pandemic, and together with this latest round will have donated more than £490,000 to support local communities. The funding is supplemented by East of England Co-op members who contribute through their annual dividend.
Grants were awarded to local voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations that deliver projects supporting community action, food justice or mental health and well-being.
Beneficiaries of the £84,000 awarded across the region this round have ranged from community gardens to counselling services, reaching thousands of people in the community in Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk.
One of the beneficiaries is Inclusion Ventures, who have received a £4,500 grant to create a new community garden in Jaywick, Essex. The new space will be used by both children and adults to grow fruit and vegetables to help promote healthy eating and encourage appreciation for food.
Project Director, Sarah Hannass, comments: “News of this funding was so welcome in January; what a great start to the year. It will enable us to bring some warmth and nourishment to a variety of activities for our children, families and seniors from our brand new community hub in Jaywick.”
Lawford Church of England Primary School in Tendring has also received £1,500 to replace raised beds that help children’s understanding of gardening and how to produce healthy vegetables. The grant is awarded as the school is projected to double in size over the next 7 years.
Headteacher Abbie Fairbairn commented: “I am so pleased that we will be able to replace the raised beds that were lost through the construction process for our new building. The opportunity to support children’s wellbeing by gardening and making the links to where our food comes from will be an invaluable part of the support we can give our children for many years to come.”
Niall O’Keeffe, joint chief executive of the East of England Co-op commented: “Our Community Cares Fund is as important as ever to help support our communities through this challenging time. It was an incredibly difficult decision to choose the recipients as we once again had a large number of applications from lots of impactful and inspiring projects. We look forward to seeing all the work come to life and make a genuine difference at a critical time.”
The East of England Co-op works with the Essex Community Foundation to distribute and deliver the Community Cares Fund.
The next round of funding from the East of England Co-op Community Cares Fund is due to open in late Spring.
If you are in need of funding before then, please visit our apply for support page.
To find out how we can help you to support charities and community groups, click here or call Perry Norton on 01245 355947.
Community Cares Fund reopens for second round of applications
20th September 2021
The region’s largest independent retailer is awarding grants of between £1,000 and £5,000 to charities and organisations supporting people in its trading areas across Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex.
Since its launch in April 2020, the East of England Co-op has donated over £410,000, including £190,000 donated by members, from its Community Cares Fund to local charities and good causes.
In July this year the retailer awarded their first round of funding for 2021, with £112,000 going to 30 organisations across Suffolk, Norfolk and Essex. The East of England Co-op received an overwhelming number of applications, demonstrating both the need and desire of community groups to refocus and increase the support they offer as the country transitions into this next phase of the pandemic.
Niall O’Keeffe, Joint Chief Executive of the East of England Co-op said: “We’re delighted to be opening this next round of applications for grants from our Community Cares Fund. The local causes we’ve supported so far have been able to achieve fantastic things so it’s wonderful to be giving this opportunity to even more groups and organisations in our region.
“There are so many inspiring people and groups in our communities working to make a positive difference. If you’re one of those people and the work you’re doing is addressing one of our key focus areas; community action, mental health and wellbeing or food justice for all, I’d encourage you to find out more about our Community Cares Fund and see if you are eligible to apply for a grant.”
Ferriers Barn, one of the charities in Essex that received funding in the previous round, provides a range of activities for adults with disabilities from their day centre in rural Essex, near Bures. Ferriers Barn received £4,000 to help with some essential upgrades to the centre where they run activities including cookery, woodwork, pottery, gardening and arts and crafts.
Nicola Goodman, Administrator at Ferriers Barn said: “The grant the East of England Co-op provided was a god send, we had to close last year due to Covid-19 and since reopening have had to change the way in which we work, including more ventilation.
“Our existing heating system was antiquated and ineffective, not to mention noisy. We froze in the winter. We have used the grant money to replace the heating with wonderful infrared heating, which is highly efficient and silent. The difference is incredible. We are able to have the doors and windows open and still stay snug and warm.
“We honestly cannot thank the East of England Community Cares Fund enough for this grant, it means we can operate safely and still make sure our members are comfortable at all times.”
East of England Co-op’s Community Cares Fund is open to grant applications from voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations, charities and parish councils that are creating or adapting services or activities that will have a positive impact in the communities where the East of England Co-op trades in Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex.
The day-to-day administration of the Fund is carried out by Suffolk Community Foundation and distributed by Suffolk, Norfolk and Essex Community Foundations on behalf of the East of England Co-op.
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
The deadline to apply is Friday 8 October at 5pm. However, this Fund may be closed early if oversubscribed so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.
Grant decisions will be made in January 2022.
To apply, please fill out our online application form 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.
Over £100,000 awarded from the East of England Co-op’s Community Cares Fund to 30 organisations
5th August 2021
The grants of between £1,000 and £5,000 will give a much-needed boost in support to local groups working hard to support our communities through this challenging time.
Initially set up in April 2020, in response to the pandemic, the retailer’s Community Cares Fund helps local voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations to create or adapt services that will have a positive impact on communities across Suffolk, Norfolk and Essex.
The Community Cares Fund is supplemented by generous East of England Co-op members who, through donating their annual dividend, have so far contributed nearly £190,000 to the fund since it opened last year.
This latest round of funding, which was open for applications from April to May 2021, aims to support groups looking to 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.
Niall O’Keeffe, Joint Chief Executive of the East of England Co-op said: “There has been some truly inspirational work happening across our region to support local communities throughout the pandemic. We’re delighted to be able to support our local groups and organisations to grow and adapt their services as we move out of lockdown.”
This latest round of funding received an overwhelming number of applications, demonstrating both the need and desire of community groups to refocus and increase the support they offer as the country transitions into this next phase of the pandemic.
Niall added: “We had initially planned to run a second round of applications this Summer. However, after receiving such an unprecedented volume of applications we decided to combine the grants available from both rounds to make sure we could support as many organisations as possible at this crucial time.
“It’s clear that the criteria we set for applications in April really resonated with organisations as they look to re-focus and expand their work with our communities during this period of change. We’re really excited to see the difference our grant recipients will be able to make.”
The Dance Network Association CIC, based in Colchester, are among the Essex grant recipients. They have been awarded £5,000 to create new classes for older adults and those living with Dementia and Parkinson’s.
Gemma Wright, CEO and Founder of Dance Network Association said: “The funding we have received from the Community Cares Fund will allow us to deliver a programme of work after such a difficult year for all. Our project is specifically for those that have been shielding or isolating due to living with conditions such as Parkinson’s and Dementia.
“We will be delivering ‘in person’ activities from September 2021 which will support these people to reengage in physical and social activity in Colchester and find the joy and benefits of dancing. The fund will specifically support the organisation to evaluate the benefits of our dance programmes on those with lived conditions and support us to profile these benefits for future-proofing our crucial work in the community.”
The other organisations that are working in Essex and have been awarded a grant are:
- Ferriers Barn in Essex were awarded £4,000 towards the adaptation of facilities to ensure activity can continue for adults with learning difficulties.
- The Victor Batte Lay Foundation in Colchester were awarded £5,000 towards the creation of arts activities within a new community hub in the town centre.
- REACH have been awarded £5,000 towards the cost of expanding their foodbank provision across rural West Suffolk and North Essex, targeting rural residents who need food but struggle to access foodbanks.
- Age Concern, Colchester & North East Essex have been awarded £5,000 towards re‐establishing pop‐up dementia cafes across Colchester and Tendring to aid the mental heath and wellbeing of carers.
- Colchester & Tendring Youth Enquiry Service were awarded £5,000 to towards the development of counselling services for young people in Colchester whose mental health has been affected by the pandemic.
Community Cares Fund grants have been awarded to a diverse range of community groups that are making a difference to the lives of people of all ages and backgrounds across our region. A full list of successful grant recipients can be found at: eastofengland.coop/grantsawards
The next round of funding from the East of England Co-op Community Cares Fund is due to open in Autumn 2021.