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Election fever hits Antrim Foodbank

18th April 2022

This election season, Antrim Foodbank is canvassing your vote in their bid for a cash boost from the Tesco Community Grants initiative. Tesco works with community charity Groundwork to run its community funding scheme, which sees grants of up to £1,500, £1,000 and £500 awarded to local community projects. 

Three groups in every community have been shortlisted to receive the cash award, and shoppers are invited to head along to Tesco stores to vote for who they think should take away the top grant.

Antrim Foodbank is one of the groups on the shortlist and their Project Manager, Fionnuala O’Donnell, said:

Last year, Antrim Foodbank provided 1,227 emergency food parcels to people in crisis, but we know it doesn’t have to be like this. With the support of the Tesco Community Grants initiative, we would hope to pick up some fresh food vouchers along with seeds to grow fresh vegetables to enhance our food parcels. Together, we can help build a #HungerFreeFuture.

Voting is open in all Tesco stores in April, May and June, and customers will cast their vote using a token given to them at the check-out each time they shop.

Tesco’s Community Grants scheme has already provided over £90 million to more than 40,000 projects across Britain. Tesco customers get the chance to vote for three different groups every time they shop. Every three months, when votes are collected, three groups in each of Tesco’s regions will be awarded funding.

Claire De Silva, Head of Community at Tesco, said:

Tesco Community Grants help support local good causes but especially those projects supporting young people, those providing food, and local causes close to our colleagues’ hearts.

Groundwork’s National Chief Executive, Graham Duxbury, said:

Tesco Community Grants continues to give local projects the boost they need to help their communities thrive. By funding services that support young people and reduce food poverty, we hope to facilitate positive change from the ground up across the UK. We are pleased to have been able to help so many local good causes over the years and look forward to seeing what community organisations can achieve in the future with the right resources.

Funding is available to community groups and charities looking to fund local projects that bring benefits to communities, particularly those helping to provide food and giving children the support they need for a good start in life. Anyone can nominate a project, and organisations can apply online.

To find out more, visit www.tesco.com/communitygrants.

ENDS

Contact:

Fionnuala O’Donnell, Project Manager at Antrim Foodbank, can be reached at [email protected] or 028 9454 8555

Antrim Foodbank:

About the Trussell Trust:  

  • We’re here to end the need for food banks in UK.
  • We support a UK-wide network of more than 1,300 food bank centres and together we provide emergency food and support to people locked in poverty, and campaign for changes to end the need for food banks in the UK.
  • Our most recent figures for the number of emergency food supplies provided by our network: https://www.trusselltrust.org/news-and-blog/latest-stats/
  • The Trussell Trust’s food bank network brings together volunteers, staff and supporters of all faiths and none to make a difference. Local churches play a vital part in this work, with around 12,000 churches actively involved in donating food, and providing venues, volunteers and financial support for food banks.
  • You can read more about our work at https://trusselltrust.org

About Tesco Community Grants:  

  • So far Tesco Community Grants has awarded more than £90 million to over 40,000 community projects.
  • For more information please visit: tesco.com/communitygrants

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