Venchie Children’s and Young People’s Project have been short-listed to become one of the latest recipients of funding from Scotmid Co-operative’s Community Connect initiative – potentially being awarded up to £15,000 to fund a key project.
Community Connect was launched last year and enables Scotmid members to award good cause groups in their local area with funding of up to £15,000, generated via the sale of single use carrier bags.
In Scotmid’s East Member Region – encompassing Edinburgh, Fife and the Lothians – Venchie Children’s and Young People’s Project are one of three good cause groups, who have been short-listed by a Scotmid member selection panel to receive a financial award of either £15,000, £7,500 or £2,500.
The other short-listed Good Cause Groups are Edinburgh’s Health in Mind and Dunfermline Food Bank.
Scotmid members collect votes by swiping their Community Connect card after every in-store purchase and then cast their votes for their preferred good cause group either in-store or at Scotmid’s East Region Annual General Meeting in Edinburgh in April.
Based in Craigmillar, ‘The Venchie’ has been supporting local families for 57 years and the charity’s aim is to ‘improve the lives of children and young people in Craigmillar by offering opportunities for education, social development, improved health and fun’.
Currently they are working with 150 children per week in a variety of settings from Breakfast Clubs, After School Clubs and Drama Clubs and Venchie would use the funding to set up a dedicated parent and toddler club.
Venchie Children’s and Young People’s Project’s Susan Heron said: “We’re delighted to have been short-listed for Scotmid’s Community Connect awards.
“It is an exciting opportunity to not only receive valuable funding, but to also raise our profile and remind people in Edinburgh that we are still here and continuing the work we’ve done for the past 57 years.
“The funding from Community Connect will help us to run our much needed and wanted parent and toddler group – currently 36 parents and 24 children attend and it is a valuable part of the service we provide.
“Huge thanks to Scotmid for considering us for Community Connect; we’re really pleased to be a part of it and linking up with stores in our local area to earn members’ votes.”