Tesco grants give big boost to Buckinghamshire schools and good causes supporting children’s access to healthy food

Three schools and good causes in Buckingham, Milton Keynes and Clophill are celebrating after sharing Tesco grants worth £3,000 to help young people.

Friends of Bourton Meadow, MK Melting Pot and Bloominwell CIC were selected in the latest round of Tesco’s Fruit and Veg Grants scheme, with grants of £1,500, £1,000 and £500 awarded following a customer vote in stores.

Friends of Bourton Meadow received the top grant of £1,500, which will go towards creating the BMA Grow-Your-Own Allotment Area at Bourton Meadow Academy in Buckingham. The inclusive outdoor learning space will help pupils learn about growing food, sustainability and healthy eating through hands-on gardening. Funding will help prepare and equip the area with accessible pathways, composting and water collection facilities, greenhouse repairs, educational signage, tools and adaptive equipment.

Also receiving funding was MK Melting Pot, which was awarded £1,000 to help deliver its Food, Friendship and Wellbeing project through slow cooker sessions and its Social Space and Wellbeing Café at Downs Barn Pavilion in Milton Keynes. The community-led, not-for-profit organisation has brought people together and tackled food poverty and isolation for over 15 years and currently supports approximately 40–50 families each week. The funding is expected to support approximately 30 people through the sessions and café, helping them prepare affordable, nutritious meals, build confidence and connect with others, with wider benefits for their families.

Lastly, Bloominwell CIC received £500, which will support Clophill Agricultural Therapeutic Gardens. The project provides a safe, nurturing space where children, families and adults can improve their wellbeing through gardening, growing food and connecting with nature. Children gain practical experience of growing fresh produce and caring for the environment, while the gardens encourage healthy eating, build confidence and help reduce isolation through community connection.

The funding was awarded through Tesco’s Fruit and Veg Grants scheme, with customers voting for the schools and good causes they wanted to support by dropping their token into the relevant box in store. Each funding round features three local projects, with grants awarded based on the number of tokens received.

Tesco is keen to support schools and community groups with projects that have a clear food focus for young people, including breakfast clubs, holiday food provision, access to healthy snacks for youth groups, community pantries, cookery and nutrition sessions, and food-growing projects that help children learn where food comes from.

The grants support Tesco’s wider Fruit & Veg for Schools ambition, giving schools and community groups funding for healthy food projects as the retailer works to help more than one million schoolchildren get fruit and vegetables through its school and community programmes.

Jade Jaiyeola, Director at MK Melting Pot, said: “We are so happy to receive this support from Tesco Stronger Starts and want to thank everyone who voted for us. At MK Melting Pot, we believe that food does so much more than fill a plate. It brings people together, opens conversations and creates a sense of belonging. This funding will help us support more local families with practical cooking skills for affordable meals and create a welcoming space where they don't feel alone. We are incredibly grateful to our community for believing in what we do.”

Claire de Silva, head of community at Tesco, said: “We’re delighted that we can help groups and clubs in Buckingham, Milton Keynes and Clophill.

“Organisations such as Friends of Bourton Meadow do such amazing work for the community they serve, being a transformative force for individuals and enhancing lives.

“We’re encouraging more schools and community groups to apply for funding for projects that help children access healthy food, learn where it comes from and build healthier habits.”

Schools and community groups can apply for funding in future rounds via Tesco, as the retailer looks to support more local projects helping children and young people access healthy, nutritious food. In recent years, thousands of pounds have been donated to Buckingham, Milton Keynes and Clophill good causes.

For more information about the Tesco Free Fruit & Veg for Schools programme and to find out how to apply for a grant, visit: https://www.tescoplc.com/fruit-and-veg-grants