Willen Hospice is calling on Tesco shoppers to support its involvement in the ‘Bags of Help’ community grant scheme, running across stores until the end of April 2019.
The Hospice applied for the funding to provide transport for its patients to and from the Wellbeing Centre each week. Tesco customers now have the opportunity to vote for Willen Hospice to receive funding, by placing a blue token into the voting box each time they shop.
Bags of Help is run in partnership with the environmental charity Groundwork, and sees grants awarded to thousands of local community projects every year.
Sarah Sweet-Rowley, associate director of community development said: “We’re very grateful for this opportunity. It gives our local community a simple but effective way to support our charity, without having to spend anything extra.
"All they need to do is place their token in the slot marked ‘Willen Hospice’.
“It will mean a great deal to our patients and their carers if we are able to collect them from their homes and bring them to the Wellbeing Centre each week. The Wellbeing Centre offers a friendly, supportive environment and complementary therapies to people with life-limiting illnesses.”
If shoppers are not offered the tokens at the till, they are encouraged to request them from the cashiers.
Alec Brown, Tesco’s Head of Community, said: “Bags of Help contributes funds to community projects up and down the country and we’ve been overwhelmed by the response from customers voting in their local stores.
"We’re looking forward to seeing more projects brought to life.”
Groundwork’s national chief executive, Graham Duxbury, said: “Bags of Help continues to enable local communities up and down Britain to improve the local spaces and places that matter to them.
"The diversity of projects that are being funded shows that local communities have a passion to create something great in their area. We are pleased to be able to be a part of the journey and provide support and encouragement to help local communities thrive.”
Willen Hospice needs to raise £9 a minute to offer its specialist end of life care to patients in and around Milton Keynes, free of charge.
Participating stores:
BUCKINGHM RD BLETCHLEY Express
EGERTON GATE MK5 7HH Express
GREENLEYS MK EXPRESS MK12 6AX Express
HEELANDS MK EXPRESS MK13 7PN Express
MELROSE AV BLETCH MK3 6PB Express
MILTON KEYNES BLETCHLEY MK1 1DD Extra
MILTON KEYNES KINGSTON MK10 0AH Extra
MILTON KEYNES WOLVERTON MK12 5 RJSS
NEWP PAG ELTHORNE EXPMK16 0JRExpress
NORTH FURZTON MK EXP MK4 1EN Express
OLD FARM PARK MK EXP MK7 8QU Express
OLDBROOK EXPRESS MK6 2JB Express
OLNEY MARKET PLAC EXP MK46 4BA Express
OXLEY PARK MK EXP MK4 4TE Express
TINKERS BRIDGE MK EXP MK6 3DD Express
WALNUT TREE EXPRESS MK7 7PB Express
WOBURN SANDS 5 H ST EXP MK17 8RQ Express
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