Co-Op Midcounties donate £850 to Wheelpower for sports camp

Co-op Midcounties has donated £5,000 to five groups in Buckinghamshire through its carrier bag good cause fund.

The wheelpower donation will help the group to fund a sports camp in February, that will enable disabled children to enjoy wheelchair sports including archery, cricket, table tennis and wheelchair basketball, as well help to build their confidence and make new friends.

Co-op Midcounties also donated almost £900 to local charities, Wycombe Homeless Connection and Sharing Life Trust. The support from Co-op Midcounties will help Wycombe Homeless Connection work with more people and families facing eviction from their homes to prevent them from becoming homeless. Meanwhile, Sharing Life Trust will be able to provide more assistance to those in need in the area through its foodbank service as a result of the generous donation.

A further £855 will enable Pebble Brook School in Aylesbury, which supports young people with Autism and Asperger Syndrome, to build new structures using eco-bricks made from recycled plastic.

The remainder of the donations will be used to help install a defibrillator within the High Wycombe and Thame region.

All the donations have been made as part of Co-op Midcounties carrier bag good cause fund, which sees the Society distribute money raised from the compulsory government carrier bag levy to charities and community groups.

Leah Lewis, Community Fundraiser at WheelPower, said: “It’s vital that people with physical impairments are still able to enjoy active lifestyles, which is why we offer our wheelchair sports sessions to everyone from first-timers to aspiring athletes. It’s a great way to develop confidence and improve health, as well as helping people to make friends and have some fun.

“As a charity we rely on the support of others, and Co-op Midcounties’ generous donation will enable us to reach out to even more people with disabilities in Buckinghamshire.”

Mike Pickering, Leadership Team Ambassador at Co-op Midcounties in Aylesbury said: “The carrier bag good cause fund enables us to support a host of groups that do fantastic work in the community.

The donations form part of the Society’s Regional Communities strategy, which sees Co-op Midcounties members and colleagues come together to provide impactful and sustainable support for local community groups through volunteering and fundraising initiatives.

“We hope our donations will help to make a difference to the lives of many and we look forward to continuing to help the groups expand their provisions and build strong local communities through further fundraising and volunteering activities in the future.”