Thames21 seeks shoppers’ votes to bag top Tesco grant to help Glenbrook
October 17, 2016:
Thames21 is bidding to bag a massive cash boost from the Tesco Bags of Help initiative.
The charity, which puts healthy rivers back at the heart of community life, wants to create an inspiring interpretation trail at the Glenbrook stream, in Enfield, to help people connect with their local river.
Tesco has teamed up with Groundwork on its Bags of Help initiative, which will award grants to environmental and greenspace projects of £12,000, £10,000 and £8,000 – all raised from the 5p bag levy.
Three groups in each of Tesco’s 416 regions have been shortlisted – and from October 31 to November 13 shoppers are being invited to vote in store for who they think should take away the top grant.
Local people will help shape the interpretation trail, through a creative arts project involving schools and community groups. It will include information about wildlife, the urban water cycle and the importance of healthy rivers.
John Bryden, Senior Programmes Manager at Thames21, said: “Like many urban streams, the Glenbrook is little known. Lots of people pass by, but don’t know that a stream runs hidden beneath their feet, or through the woodland.
“We’ve worked hard with great support from volunteers and residents, cleaning the Glenbrook of rubbish, creating wetlands to improve water quality and attracting more wildlife.
“Now we want to show people how great it is! Our trail would include creative forms of information on the road, footpaths and pavements, and in the woods and wetlands to draw people in to enjoy the green oasis.”
The Glenbrook flows through cleansing wetlands and into Boxers Lake, from where it goes on to join the Salmons Brook. Customers will cast their vote using a token given to them at the check-out in store each time they shop.
The stores where customers can vote to bring the Glenbrook to life are: the Enfield Express, Oakwood Express, Bullsmoor Lane Express, Winchmore Hill Express, Enfield Lock Express, Enfield Dotcom Centre, Windmill Hill Enfield Express, Chaseside Southgate Express, Edmonton Express, Ponders End Extra, Lea Valley Extra, Edmonton, and Enfield Southbury Road.
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.
A total of £11.7 million was invested into 1,170 community groups from the first round.
Lindsey Crompton, Head of Community at Tesco, said: “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: “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.”
Notes for editors
- 1,248 organisations from Tesco’s 416 UK regions will receive a share of the Bags of Help fund.
- The initiative is supported by money from the five pence charge levied on single-use carrier bags
- More than 2,800 groups up and down the country applied for grants from the scheme. These were whittled down to three in each of Tesco’s regions
- For more information please visit: http://www.tesco.com/bagsofhelp
About Thames21
Thames21 is an environmental charity putting healthy rivers back at the heart of community life. Through environmental improvements, education, research and advocacy efforts, Thames21 is inspiring and influencing effective and lasting change by working hand-in-hand with communities to deliver tangible and measurable improvements for urban rivers.
www.thames21.org.uk | Registered Charity No. 1103997
Media Contact
Ian Lamont
Communications Manager at Thames21
Ian Lamont
07739 627 667
020 7248 7171