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Treasuring Lives calls out for votes to bag a share of a £12.5million carrier bag charge fund

ByEmily

Oct 4, 2016

Treasuring Lives is bidding to bag a massive cash boost from the Tesco Bags of Help initiative.

The supermarket has teamed up with Groundwork on its Bags of Help initiative, which see grants of £12,000, £10,000 and £8,000 – all raised from the 5p bag levy – being awarded to environmental and greenspace projects.

Three groups in each of Tesco’s 416 regions have been shortlisted to receive the cash award.

And this month shoppers are being invited to head along to Tesco stores to vote for who they think should take away the top grant.

Treasuring Lives is one of the groups on the shortlist.

The Construction of a ‘Viewing Deck’ is going to be our community project.

This will be invaluable to our patients and give them a peaceful area where they can relax during their stay with us and feel at ease. This deck will include wheel chair access, permitting patients to access external areas, views of our gorgeous countryside and the ability to be able to see the vast wildlife we have here at Willow Burn like squirrels, deer, rabbits. There will be Bird boxes, Squirrel boxes, Hedgehog Houses within the woods that borders the hospice.

The views are beautiful here at Willow Burn, however, they are all green.

Hence the creation of a natural meadow creating colour and giving the patients more variety to look at and create an overall better atmosphere.

Wheelchair Access walkways will travel through the meadow. Access points west side of IPM east side of Day centre and a central walkway between IPU and Hospice.

We hope this deck will give people comfort in their last days and also enable other patients, their friends and family to reflect and relax during a difficult time.

“This ‘viewing deck’ is an idea that Willow Burn have been considering for a long time. It will really add something to the atmosphere of IPU and give a great space for patients to explore and relax, it really would mean everything to us” – Katherine Luke- Income Generation & Marketing Manager”

Voting is open in stores from 31st October to 13 th November. Customers will cast their vote using a token given to them at the check-out in store each time they shop.

This is the second round of the initiative: the first round saw approximately eight million shoppers vote in stores up and down the country earlier this year.

Lindsey Crompton, Head of Community at Tesco, said: “The first round of the Bags of Help initiative was a fantastic success.

“In total 1,170 community groups were awarded £8,000, £10,000 or £12,000 – that’s a massive £11.7 million being invested into local projects.

“We are already seeing some great results from groups transforming their own environmental and greenspace areas.

“We are absolutely delighted to open the voting for round two. 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: “Bags of Help is giving our communities both the funding and the support to create better, healthier and greener places for everyone to enjoy.

“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.

“They’re all fantastic projects that make a real difference in our neighbourhoods.

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

By Emily