Community groups benefit from £3,800 Co-op grant

Grants totalling £3,800 have been awarded to two community groups in Swindon thanks to The Midcounties Co-operative Community Fund.

The grants were awarded to the organisation Digital Writes and the charity Breaking Free after they successfully applied to The Midcounties Co-operative’s Community Fund which aims to support good causes locally.

Students at local schools including The Commonwealth School, Lydiard Park Academy and Crowdys Hill will benefit from the funding as Digital Writes is able to help young people develop valuable digital and creative skills with classes including making a video game. The charity will also be able to expand its service to help those with special needs by hiring additional, SEN trained staff.

Breaking Free, a charity that supports females who have suffered abuse, also received funding to help it continue to provide a range of workshops to help vulnerable women, and also marketing materials in order to reach others who could benefit from their services.

The announcement forms part of The Midcounties Co-operative’s Regional Communities strategy, which sees members and colleagues come together to provide meaningful support for local community groups through volunteering and fundraising initiatives.

Dean Mason a Leadership Team Ambassador at The Midcounties Co-operative, said: “By awarding these grants to such a range of local groups, we can make a real difference to the whole area, supporting young people, and vulnerable members of the community.

“At The Midcounties Co-operative, we are dedicated to supporting the local community, and the grants aim to help groups and charities continue to provide invaluable support to their members.”

Keith Phillips from Digital Writes, said: “At Digital Writes, we support young people to make and publish their own video games. As well as getting the chance to do something fun and engaging, they develop a wide range of creative media, computer, life and work skills such as self-motivation, planning and team work.

“With the funding from The Midcounties Co-operative we can expand our services to benefit students with special educational needs, providing them with an outlet for their individual enthusiasms and the opportunity to explore the possibility of making a career out of their particular talents.”