Central Co-op donates £1,250 for Sustainable Sawbridgeworth’s activities and initiatives
A Sawbridgeworth green group has reaped the dividend of a supermarket chain’s ethical outlook by securing a £1,250 grant.
Central Co-op, which has a store in London Road, made the donation to Sustainable Sawbridgeworth, which works with local businesses, schools and community groups to promote improvements to the environment and sustainable living practices.
The funding will go towards the running of the group and will cover the costs of bi-monthly stalls and posters for several sustainability initiatives, such as Tidy Up Sawbridgeworth (TUS) and Sawbridgeworth Repair Café. It will also enable the organisation to pay for hall hire for the group’s new Sawbo Sales initiative, aimed at residents wishing to buy or sell second-hand clothes.
Every year, Central Co-op invests a percentage of its trading profit into local community projects, nominated by members, to support the communities in which it operates.
The Sawbo store sponsored a Cycle Day on Saturday (April 13) held in its car park. Residents were able to have their bikes checked over for free by staff from Cycle King in London Road and cycling experts from Sustainable Sawbridgeworth discussed improving facilities for cyclists and walkers in the town.
A spokesman from the group said: “Sustainable Sawbridgeworth are encouraging people to cycle locally by promoting new cycle routes in the area.
“We are also asking the local council to improve the cycling infrastructure by speeding up the publication of a Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP), which is due later this year and will help with funding.”
Corinne Lewis, from Sustainable Sawbridgeworth, said: “Since we launched in 2020, our focus has always been to promote improvements to the environment locally through initiatives that benefit the community – from second-hand clothes fairs to repair cafes – in a bid to campaign against overconsumption.
“We’d like to say a big thank you to the Central Co-op team. The funds will go a long way in promoting our activity and supporting even more people.”
Andrew Seddon, society secretary at Central Co-op, said: “We’re pleased to be able to support local organisations such as Sustainable Sawbridgeworth as part of our Community Dividend Fund.
“Investing in and supporting the communities we operate within remains a priority as a co-operative, and the Community Dividend Fund is just one way that we do this.
“We couldn’t be prouder to support a grassroots initiative which promotes a more sustainable way of living, and we truly felt that Sustainable Sawbridgeworth’s mission aligned with our own values and environmental commitments.
“We are only able to make these donations thanks to people supporting their local Central Co-op stores and funeral homes, so I’d like to say a big thank you to those that help to make the fund happen.”