£41,677 has been donated to charities and causes in Jersey and Guernsey this spring, thanks to our Community Fund.

Our Community Fund was introduced in 2021 to get behind the projects and causes that resonate the most with our members. Support is available to projects that inspire the next generation, promote equality, social inclusion and accessibility, preserve the local environment, support the aging population, or support health and wellbeing. The latest round of grants brings the total number of projects supported to 245, with almost £250,000 donated since its inception.

Pictured - The Terriers, Guernsey Indoor Bowling Association: The Terriers are a group of indoor bowls players with learning disabilities. The group are united by a love of bowls and the sessions provide regular fun and friendship. A grant of £2,000 in Autumn 2023 has allowed a full year of bowls to continue fully funded. 

20 applicants in Guernsey were successful in the Spring round of funding, including £1,200 to Autism Guernsey for sleep counselling training, £1,000 to the Orthoptic Department at Princess Elizabeth Hospital towards providing glasses for children, and £825 to Health Connections LBG to increase support available at their Talking Café initiative. 

Amherst School Headteacher, Matthew Hughes, recommended that others apply if there’s a project or initiative in need of funds. As a successful applicant in 2023, the funds have contributed greatly to supporting the school with a dedicated cooking for the school children and for planned family cooking classes led by their family support worker.   

He said: “Just go for it. It's lovely and I didn't realise how easy it was to apply. It was very straightforward. I just managed to complete the form quickly and I'd recommend it to anyone.”

Pictured - Amherst Primary School: £2,000 was awarded to Amherst School in the Autumn 2023 round of funding, towards a dedicated cooking space in school and offer both in-school and out-of-school cooking classes for our children. 

This year, the we've pledged that 1% of sales from locally produced products will be donated to future Community Fund applicants, to ensure future community support. 

Carl Winn, Head of Community & Sustainability at CI Coop, said “Through our Community Fund, we support like-minded charities and not-for-profit organisations that align with our vision as a Coop, providing a financial boost to local causes, enabling them to keep up their incredible work. 

“We’ve found that the last year has been challenging financially for charities and community groups, so our commitment of support as a community retailer is more important than ever before.” 

Applications are now open for our Autumn round of community funding. Find out more here.