Diss Tesco open day to shed light on community funding scheme

Green spaces across Norfolk and Suffolk could benefit from grants as high as £12,000, as Tesco issues a fresh call for applications from the Diss area for its funding scheme.

The Diss Tesco supermarket off the A1066 Victoria Road will host an open morning on Monday, to share details on the second round of funding for Bags Of Help, an initiative where proceeds from the 5p charge on plastic carrier bags is pumped back into local communities, with £30,000 awarded in each round.

Green community charity Groundwork, which is leading the scheme, will be on hand to give information, whilst the three projects that received grants in the first round – all from the Diss area – will talk about their plans.

Gary Lowe, Community Project Officer for Groundwork Suffolk and Norfolk, told the Diss Express: “This is particularly important as that is now one of the few funding sources for such schemes.

“The main prerequisite is that the project leads to the physical improvement of an open space.”

The trio of groups to have previously obtained funding from Bags Of Help include Burston Primary School, which won £12,000 for its ‘Taming the Wild’ project – a plan to construct a nature area and wildlife pond.

Also benefiting from the funds is the River Waveney Trust, which intends to use its £10,000 for improvements to Frenze Beck, a section of wildlife on the edge of Diss.

Finally, Stradbroke High School was given £8,000 to install outdoor gym equipment.

Mr Lowe said the types of projects the scheme was looking to support were those which improved biodiversity and wellbeing, enhanced community safety, promoted physical activity, helped adapt the region to climate change or increased access to open spaces for under-represented groups.

He said some examples of applications that might be considered were new pocket parks, sports facilities, schools, wildlife areas, seafront improvements and community gardens.

The Bags Of Help open morning at the Tesco store in Diss takes place Monday, May 16, beginning at 10.30am, while the deadline for applications for the second round of grant money is June 3.

A shortlist will then be created, before a public vote in October to decide who the recipients shall be.

For further information about the Bags Of Help initiative, please contact Mr Lowe on 01473 350371 or email gary.lowe@groundwork.org.uk