‘Fun in the Forest’ project calls out for votes to bag a share of bag charge fund

DO YOU remember building dens, climbing trees and discovering different creatures when you were a child?

Unfortunately, many of today’s children are missing out on these opportunities and becoming glued to computer screens and mobile phones.

In an effort to change all of that, Severn Wye Energy Agency are bidding to bag a massive cash boost from the Tesco Bags of Help initiative to run a ‘Fun in the Forest event’ to reconnect children from urban and economically deprived areas with the natural world.

Tesco teamed up with Groundwork to launch the monthly funding scheme, which sees grants of £5,000, £2,000 and £1,000 – all raised from the 5p bag levy – being awarded to local outdoor community projects.

Three groups in every Tesco region have been shortlisted to receive the cash award and this month shoppers are being invited to head along to Tesco stores in Stroud, Cam and Dursley, Cirencester, Tetbury, Nailsworth and Wotton Under Edge, to vote for who they think should take away the top grant.

Severn Wye Energy Agency’s ‘Fun in the Forest’ event is one of the activities on the shortlist.

Mark Stead, Education Project Manager at Severn Wye said, ‘When I think back to my own childhood, we were always building dens, climbing trees and discovering all sorts of creatures. It is only by connecting people with the natural world that they will develop a real deep-seated love and respect for it. I feel so proud when we hear a child ask their parents if they can come back to a particular location or repeat an activity themselves back at home because I know that we have planted the first seeds of a love of the natural world that will live on with that child throughout their life and will hopefully be passed on to their own children.’

Voting is open in stores from January 2, to January 28.

Customers will cast their vote using a token given to them at the check-out in store each time they shop.

Tesco’s Bags of Help project has already delivered over £24 million to more than 2,400 projects up and down the UK.

Tesco customers get the chance to vote for three different groups each month.

At the end of each month, when votes are collected, three groups in each of Tesco’s regions will be awarded funding.

Lindsey Crompton, Head of Community at Tesco, said: “We are absolutely delighted to open the voting for January. There are some fantastic projects on the shortlists and we can’t wait to see them come to life in hundreds of communities.”

Groundwork’s national Chief Executive, Graham Duxbury, said: “We’ve been thrilled to see the diversity of projects that have applied for funding, ranging from outdoor classrooms, sports facilities, community gardens, play areas and everything in between.

“We’re looking forward to learning the results of the customer vote and then supporting each group to bring their project to life.”

The Bags of Help scheme is permanently open for applications and anyone can nominate a project at any time – whether it’s Tesco customers, colleagues or the community groups themselves.

Just ask in store for more information or visit the Bags of Help website, visit tesco.com/bagsofhelp/