Ibstock Baptist Church has been given a share of Central England Co-op's Community Dividend Fund - which is aimed at backing those who help support access to food, health and wellbeing, inclusion and the environment.

The Church has been awarded £500 to support its food bank work

Christine Harkness, of the Baptist Church, said: "Thank you for the generous donation of £500 towards the Ibstock Baptist Church food bank.

"It will be a big help to enable us to purchase fresh food from FareShare.

"We run a food bank every Monday for the local community here in Ibstock, helping to feed people on benefits and low wages.

"It is a lifeline for a great number of residents."

Central England Co-op has handed out £30,000 to 33 charities and good causes as part of the revamped fund.

A wide range of charities and community organisations were delighted to receive the funding boost during these uncertain times.

Groups apply for between £100 to £5,000 every two months to support all manner of projects after, for the past 12 months, the fund was temporarily repurposed to support good causes impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. During that time, 116 good causes have shared over £175,000.

Organisations in the following areas have benefitted from a grant from the latest round of funding: Derbyshire, Nottingham, Northants, Leicestershire, the West Midlands, Norfolk and Cambridgeshire.

Andy Seddon, Society Secretary, said: "Community Dividend Fund grants showcase how by being a member and shopping at your local Central England Co-op store allows us as a Society to continue to invest and fund vital projects in the area – especially during uncertain times like these.

"Our relaunched fund aligns with our new Society Purpose to create a sustainable Society for all and we are delighted to share these funds with these amazing groups and cannot wait to see how they use it to benefit their local community."

To apply, members will need: name, address, membership number, organisation type, organisation bank account or constitution and to explain what the group does, how the grant will be spent and the specific impact it will have.

People can find out the full criteria and how to apply for funding by clicking HERE.