Community groups in Burnley and Pendle set to benefit from charity cash windfall

Rebecca Birkbeck, Director of Community Engagement at the Co-op, which is donating money to community groups in Burnley and Pendle through its Local Community FundRebecca Birkbeck, Director of Community Engagement at the Co-op, which is donating money to community groups in Burnley and Pendle through its Local Community Fund
Rebecca Birkbeck, Director of Community Engagement at the Co-op, which is donating money to community groups in Burnley and Pendle through its Local Community Fund
Community groups in Burnley and Pendle are set to share a funding boost from the Co-op's Local Community Fund.

Burnley FC in the Community, Trawden Forest Community Centre CIO and Colne Parish Church St Bartholomew, are all set to receive several thousand pounds at the end of 2019.

Last year three groups in Burnley shared £8,000.

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Co-op members receive a five per cent reward for themselves with a further one per cent going to local causes when they buy own-brand products. Members can decide how the money is allocated and are encouraged to select the causes they wish to support online.

Recent figures from the Charity Commission show that 40% of all charities survive on an income of less than £10,000, meaning that the funding raised by Co-op members will have a significant impact on the difference causes can make in their community.

Rebecca Birkbeck, Director of Community Engagement at the Co-op, said: “The more people shop, the more we share, and the more impact we can have in communities.

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"People can get involved by becoming a member, swiping their card, and choosing the cause they want to support. By choosing their local cause, our members are telling us what really matters in their communities.

“Last year we invested £19 million in over 4,000 groups UK-wide, supporting a wide range of initiatives from village halls and community spaces to skills initiatives and neighbourhood watch schemes, all of which are helping to make communities across the UK safer, happier, and healthier places to live.”