Community causes up and down the country work hard to provide help to people who need it most. Thanks to Co-op members, more help is now available to local causes supporting their communities.
West Yorkshire-based Food for Families is one of many local causes in the UK working to feed people in need. Families can pick up ready-made food packs at the same time as picking up the kids from school.
Now the group has been given its own helping hand, thanks to £5,000 from Co-op as part of its Winners Share It All prize draw.
Food for Families was chosen by a Co-op member, who also received their own £500 prize.
Every month until the end of the year, Co-op members have the chance to win £5,000 for their chosen Local Community Fund cause, as well as £500 for themselves.
Taking part is easy
1. Choose your Local Community Fund cause via the Co-op website or in the app
2. Pop into a Co-op near you and spend £5, or buy online via shop.coop.co.uk
3. Members get an entry for every £5 spent
3. Scan your membership card at the till and you will automatically be entered for a chance to win big for you and your community
Winning causes
Food for Families is just one of around 2,500 Local Community Fund causes that Co-op members support throughout the year, with 90 causes set to benefit from £5,000 each thanks to Co-op members.
Other groups who have won since the prize draw launched include the Sandy Bear children’s bereavement charity in Wales, and Blackpool’s Fylde Coast Women’s Aid, which provides therapeutic group support for women who have been subjected to domestic abuse.
Change lives locally
The Happy Memories Cafe in Gildersome, near Leeds - which provides a space for people with dementia - has also won £5,000, as has Airedale and Wharfedale Autism Resource, which can now expand its support for families with autistic children.
Another recipient of Co-op’s Winners Share It All prize draw is the Knockbreda Community Wildlife Garden project in Northern Ireland – an energy-efficient initiative on former desolate land where the community can learn about producing plant-based food.
Getting vital funds to causes like these can’t be done without your help, though. Each of these winning projects was chosen by a Co-op member, and by taking part, you have the chance to start changing local lives with your next shop.
How you can get involved
Simply choose your Local Community Fund cause via the Co-op website or app. Then spend £5, either in-store or online via shop.coop.co.uk.
Scan your membership card at the till and you will automatically be entered every month for a chance to win big for you and your community*. Members get additional entries for every £5 spend.
There will be 10 winners every month until December, so there are plenty of chances to win. Non-members can also become a Co-op member and take part for just £1 via the Co-op app.
The Winners Share It All prize draw is designed to help boost Co-op’s existing support for thousands of grassroots causes. The Local Community Fund has supported nearly 40,000 projects since 2016, and in total, £108 million has been raised by Co-op members.
“Getting the call from Co-op to tell us about the award was absolutely amazing,” says Lesley Maslen from Food for Families.
“£5,000 will really make a difference and allow us to look at other projects, like a community cookery school and a lunch club for the elderly. Thank you.”
Find out more at coop.co.uk/communities
*UK, 18+. Co-op members only, 10/04/24 – 31/12/24. Co-op Group food stores and web purchases only, excludes independent co-operatives. Full T&Cs at coop.co.uk/terms/winners-share-it-all.