Ashfield Children’s Centres are bidding to bag a massive cash boost from the Tesco Bags of Help initiative, a community grant scheme where money raised by the 5p bag charge funds local community projects.

The Children’s Centres, run by Nottinghamshire Children and Families Partnership – a partnership between Nottinghamshire Healthcare, Family Action and North Nottinghamshire College – applied for a grant for their project, “The Big Day Out”.

It includes a five-week preparation family-learning course for local families, leading to an outing to Sherwood Pines Forest Park available to the wider community, thereby creating a sense of unity across the community and peer support amongst local families.

The course will focus on strategies for coping with children throughout holiday periods, cheap and easy play ideas, as well as improving adults’ confidence in learning.

Three groups in every Tesco region are shortlisted to receive cash awards of £4,000, £2,000 or £1,000 for local projects that bring benefits to the community. Customers will use a token given to them at the checkout in store each time they shop to vote for who they think should take away the top grant.

Customers can vote at:

Tesco Express, Annesley Road, Hucknall
Tesco Extra, Ashgate Road, Hucknall

Michelle Squires, community development worker for Hucknall Children’s Centre, said: “Lots of families find it difficult to have an affordable day out with their children and aren’t aware of free, local places to go.

“Some families also often struggle to think of cheap and easy ways to keep their children busy during holiday periods and we hope this funding will help families to come together, learn new skills and get to know more people in their community.”