The Charles Booth Centre in Thringstone has been awarded £5,000 by the Co-op's Community Fund.

Central England Co-op has shared out £6,660 between three good causes in Leicestershire to ensure they can continue their vital community work during the Coronavirus outbreak.

The award to the Charles Booth Centre is to pay for a brand new floor to ensure it can provide vital community support during and after the Coronavirus pandemic.

Tom Walters, the Centre's Business Manager, said: "As one of our closest neighbours, the relationship between the Co-op and the Charles Booth Centre has always been a most harmonious one, both looking to serve our Community as best we can in our way.

"In the past 12 months or so, we have started to work more closely and we were delighted when Janette Bevan of the Central England Co-operative Community outreach team came to the Centre to see if they could do more to help us.

"Their visit coincided with the start of a series of works to both refresh and modernise parts of the Centre, making sure that it is able to keep on serving the changing needs of our Community.

"Ms Bevan was our personal sponsor for the Making a Difference Community Dividend and the £5000 Grant that we received has enabled us to have beautiful new flooring laid throughout three large rooms downstairs.

"The new flooring, together with redecoration and the knocking through of a wall has enabled us to create a beautiful and practical downstairs space that is suitable to be used to hire as a downstairs function room that can cater for all people and ages irrespective of age or mobility. Long term, (which has got decidedly shorter term thanks to Geoffrey and Pauline Walker's incredible Instagram followers!) a lift will enable access to all throughout the building.

"But for now, the new flooring has helped to transform our downstairs space.

"We are hugely appreciative of the Central England Co-operative's generous donation and could not have done this without their support.

"Once life settles down a little, we look forward to having them out in person to put up a plaque in recognition of all their support."

As well as that, two other awards have been made in the county with Shepshed youth organisation Passion and the Lodge Trust in Rutland also receiving funds, with a total of £50,000 handed out to 29 groups across 16 counties from the retailer's Community Dividend Fund.

The money will now be spent by charities and organisations to ensure that events, activities and support that otherwise might have been postponed or cancelled can still go ahead and provide a vital boost to the local community.

It is another boost for the Centre after Coalville Nub News reported last week that they were close to teaching their crowdfunding target of £15,000 towards the cost of a new mobility lift thanks to an online mention from Thringstone's Instagram couple Geoffrey and Pauline Walker Thringstone couple use Instagram following to help local community centre

Debbie Robinson, Central England Co-op Chief Executive, said: "Now more than ever being a co-operative business that sits at the heart of our communities is so important.

"We are delighted that these great projects and good causes have been handed a grant that will allow them to continue their fantastic work in the community at this uncertain time.

"Community Dividend Fund grants like this 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."

Grants of between £100 and £5,000 are handed out every three months to a wide range of applicants.

The fund guarantees that at least one per cent of the Society's trading profit is reinvested in local communities in a bid to help projects to thrive across its trading area of 16 counties from the Midlands to the east coast.

People can apply for funding by visiting Central England Co-op

Becoming a member of Central England Co-operative offers a whole host of benefits ranging from collecting points every time you spend in store to earn a share of the profits, access to members activities and community initiatives including the Community Dividend Fund.

Find out how to become a Central England Co-operative member by calling 0800 0501 601, emailing [email protected] or visiting Co-op members