Co-op Helping Hands open for applications

Friday 11 January 2019

Local charities and community groups are being invited to apply for funding from The Channel Islands Co-operative Society Limited’s Helping Hands fund.

Now in its 24th year, Helping Hands provides support and funding to local organisations and groups, so they can set up extra projects that would usually be out of their budgets. So far the fund has donated over £301,000 to worthwhile causes in the islands.

In 2018, more than 130 organisations applied to the Helping Hands fund. The Society was able to give £18,155 to over 30 charities, schools, churches and organisations across the Channel Islands.

Guernsey recipients included Dementia Friendly Guernsey, a partnership of charities, organisations and professionals committed to making the Island a place where people with dementia can live well. The organisation’s funds went towards significantly increasing awareness of dementia through the delivery of 98 awareness sessions to 1,035 people in 2018.

Funds were also donated to GO - Giving Opportunities, a non-profit charity which provides training to people with social and communication difficulties as well as those with mental health problems, to enable them to find worthwhile employment.

The Channel Islands Co-operative Society’s CEO, Colin Macleod, said: "We are proud of all the great work achieved by the charities and community groups in 2018 and are very much looking forward to seeing what the 2019 applicants will bring.

"Charities and similar organisations are the heartbeat of the Channel Islands’ communities. For nearly 25 years the Society’s Helping Hands fund has been in place to make a difference to hundreds of local community groups across the Islands. As a community retailer, we recognise that many of the smaller charities and causes can get overlooked so we make the Helping Hands fund as accessible as possible. Sometimes there are those extra projects where a few hundred pounds can make all the difference to their positive work."

To apply complete an online application form at channelislands.coop/helpinghands by 11 February 2019.

A full list of the successful 2018 applicants can be found on the Co-op’s website.

Pictured: The Co op's Helping Hands Fund in action.