Cast your vote at Tesco for Watchtree

Watchtree Nature Reserve calls for votes to get a share of Tesco’s Community Grants fund 

Watchtree Nature Reserve is bidding 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 £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 being invited to head along to Tesco stores to vote for who they think should take away the top grant. 

Watchtree Nature Reserve is one of the groups on the shortlist with its Tale Trail project. 

Watchtree Nature Reserve’s Tale Trail 

 
‘Our plan is to develop a new trail based on a captivating story revolving around our nature reserve and its animal inhabitants. The plot will be exclusively penned and crafted by a talented artist from our local community. The trail will feature exhibits such as character carvings and interactive checkpoints.  

Support for the new trail’s creation has already been granted thanks to sponsorship from local firm Bimsons Haulage. Additional funding from initiatives like this one from Tesco will allow us to enhance the trail further. We hope that the story trail will be appealing and engaging for children of all ages. Encouraging them to explore the reserve in a new and exciting way.’ 

Voting is open in all Tesco stores from early July until the end of September 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 awarded over £100 million to more than 50,000 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 which 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.