[C]umbria Wildlife Trust has announced that it has been selected for the Tesco Bags of Help scheme, to help fund a new facility for volunteers at the charity’s South Walney Nature Reserve.
Throughout March and April, shoppers in Tesco stores throughout Barrow and Ulverston are being urged to for vote for the project, which involves converting a disused cottage on the nature reserve into a brand new, welcoming space for volunteers.
Hazel Jones, Senior Fundraising Officer at Cumbria Wildlife Trust explains: “South Walney Nature Reserve is a fantastic place for wildlife. The shingle beaches, gravel pools and sand dunes support an impressive variety of birds, spectacular flora and the only breeding grey seal colony in Cumbria. We want to make it a great place for volunteering as well, by providing a facility that’s not only welcoming but fit for purpose. There is an existing building on site which we want to convert but a lot of work is needed. For instance, we need to refurbish the kitchen and bathroom, provide access to computers and the internet, install a heating system – and most importantly provide tea and coffee making equipment!”
Hazel continues: “We’re very lucky to have some great volunteers at South Walney Nature Reserve, who help with greeting visitors, monitoring wildlife and habitats and much more, but with the right facilities, we could provide even more opportunities and make it a really appealing place for people of all walks of life to come and volunteer.”
Under the Bags of Help scheme, each time shoppers make a purchase in-store they receive a token which they can place in a box to vote for their favourite local community project. The project which receives the highest number of votes will receive £4,000, the project in second place £2,000 and in third place, £1,000. The more votes South Walney Nature Reserve receives, the more money will be spent on creating some volunteer facilities that are really fit for purpose and help volunteers and visitors alike to make the most of this wonderful wildlife haven.
Alec Brown, Head of Community at Tesco, said: “We are absolutely delighted to open the voting for March and April. There are some fantastic projects on the shortlists and we can’t wait to see these come to life in hundreds of communities.”
Voters need to make a purchase within a Tesco store. They will receive one token per transaction (it’s not necessary to buy a carrier bag to receive a token). Shoppers can vote for South Walney Nature Reserve in the following Tesco stores until the end of April:
- Express, Rawlinson Street, Barrow
- Extra, Corner House Park, Hindpool Road, Barrow
- Metro, Flass Lane, Barrow
- Express, Ocean Road, Walney
- Express, Market Street, Ulverston
