Tesco is bringing a positive start to Swindon communities’ year by launching a campaign to give good causes part of a £300,000 fund,

From January 17to February 6, Swindon listeners to Heart and Smooth radio stations who work with charities or not-for-profit organisations will be encouraged to apply for a £5,000 cash grant.

Priority will be given to projects which provide food and support to young people, such as school breakfast clubs, food banks, or charities supporting young people to manage mental health.

The campaign is running along with the Tesco Community Grants, the in-store scheme where customers vote with blue tokens for community projects and groups.

Among the Swindon groups to receive funding for recent projects was Hjalpande Hander Catering, which used its £1,000 grant towards providing paid employment to young adults with special needs.

Another was Swindon Down's Syndrome Group, which was given £1,000 to provide tailored school packs to help teachers in mainstream schools educate children with Down’s syndrome.

Claire de Silva from Tesco said: “We know the start of the year can be tough for many families financially, so we wanted to find a way to give something extra to communities our stores support across the country.

“We hope that Heart and Smooth listeners will help us celebrate all the community groups who make such a difference to young people and families, not just in January but year round too. We’re really proud to be launching this new campaign, which is an extra boost to our Tesco Community Grants scheme that already helps thousands of people every year.”

Graham Duxbury is chief executive at Groundwork, the charity that works with Tesco on community initiatives.

He said: “For many people the combination of money worries and the ongoing impact of the pandemic is making the start of 2022 a challenging time.

“That’s why it’s so important that we continue to support the local charities and community groups who work tirelessly to provide essential services and bring people together in neighbourhoods across the country. Money is tight for many of these groups too, so we’re delighted to be working with Tesco to make extra funds available so that they can expand their activities and help more people.”

To nominate a chosen charity or community group, visit www.tescocommunitygrants.org.uk