Tag Archives: Graham Duxbury

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Tesco funds 10,000 community projects through its Bags of Help scheme

Welwyn Garden City, UK, 2018-Jan-31 — /EPR Retail News/ — Tesco has today (30 Jan 2018) announced that 10,000 community projects have now been funded through its Bags of Help scheme.

Run in partnership with environmental charity Groundwork, Bags of Help uses the money raised from carrier bag sales to fund local projects. No profit is made on the sale of these bags and Tesco has now donated over £41 million to fund great causes across England, Scotland and Wales through the programme, which began in 2015.

Through Bags of Help, Tesco customers vote in-store for their preferred local project, using the blue token given to them at the checkout. Every two months Tesco hands out grants of £4,000, £2,000 and £1,000, in each of its 565 regions.

Examples of projects supported include:

  • A new ‘book bus’ for Robert Kett primary school in Norfolk. Bags of Help funding paid for a double decker bus, now parked in the school’s playground, which has been transformed into a library for the pupils to enjoy.
  • Helping vulnerable and isolated people to get cycling in Glasgow. Tesco grants helped pay for a ‘peddling pool’ – a dedicated area where small children can learn to ride a bike with their parents and carers.
  • Restoring a community allotment in Holyhead after three floods in three years made it difficult to access the site. Bags of Help funded a new all-weather road leading to the site, new paths around the plots and a dedicated car park to help the children, elderly and disabled users who regularly enjoy the site.

Matt Davies, Tesco CEO UK & ROI, said:

“We’re incredibly proud to be part of the communities we serve and support local causes. As Bags of Help is funded by the sale of carrier bags, it’s only right that our customers decide which local projects to fund, and I’m absolutely delighted that we’ve now donated £41 million to support 10,000 good causes – from restoring scout huts to buying kids’ football kits.

“This is a huge achievement and it’s fantastic to see Bags of Help making a big difference to local communities across the country.”

Graham Duxbury, Chief Executive of Groundwork UK, said:

“We are delighted that Bags of Help has reached the impressive milestone of funding 10,000 projects that have helped communities in England, Scotland and Wales.

“Since the initiative started we have seen some amazing projects come to fruition, and it’s great to know the impressive scale that the programme has on reaching communities that need extra funds to make where they live a better place to be.

“It’s exciting to know that this positive impact can continue and we look forward to seeing even more local communities apply for grants, and creating innovative projects that help local people and places.”

Bags of Help is one of the ways Tesco is committed to making a difference to the local issues that matter to its customers and colleagues. Other initiatives include donating food to those in need through local charities, and our network of 500 in store Community Champions working with the community. Find out more here.

We are a team of over 450,000 colleagues dedicated to serving shoppers a little better every day.

For more information please contact the Tesco Press Office on 01707 918 701    

Source: Tesco

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Tesco: new ‘Bag for Life’ to replace single use carrier bags; sales of the bag will fund community projects across Britain

Tesco: new ‘Bag for Life’ to replace single use carrier bags; sales of the bag will fund community projects across Britain

 

CHESHUNT, England, 2017-Aug-08 — /EPR Retail News/ — Tesco has today ( 08 Aug 2017 ) announced that from 28 August single use carrier bags will be replaced by a new ‘Bag for Life’ made from 94% recycled plastic. The new bag will be priced at 10p and sales of the bag will fund community projects across Britain.

The announcement follows a successful 10-week trial in Aberdeen, Dundee and Norwich, where Tesco found that customers bought significantly fewer bags. Sales of bags in trial stores have since reduced by 25% and customers found that the Bag for Life, which is replaceable for free if damaged, helped them move to re-useable bags.

Tesco has given out 1.5 billion fewer single use bags since the introduction of the carrier bag charge in England in 2015, but still sells over 700 million of these each year. Removing single use carrier bags will significantly reduce the number of bags sold and will therefore help reduce litter and bags sent to landfill.

Online customers will still be able to opt for single use carrier bags for their shopping or select a bagless delivery, which 57% of Tesco’s online customers are now doing. Tesco also revealed today that it will be removing single-use wine carriers and lowering the price of its ‘Carry me bottle bag’ from £1 to 40p.

The new Bag for Life will continue to fund Tesco’s Bags of Help scheme, which is delivered with Groundwork, and sees local community projects across Great Britain awarded grants, with Tesco customers voting for their favourite local project by picking up a blue token at the checkout each time they shop. Since launching in 2015, Bags of Help has provided more than £33 million to over 6,400 local community projects. The scheme has until now been funded through the levy placed on single-use bags.

Matt Davies, UK and ROI CEO at Tesco, said:

“The number of bags being bought by our customers has already reduced dramatically. Today’s move will help our customers use even fewer bags but ensure that those sold in our stores continue to fund thousands of community projects across the country chosen by customers. It’s the right thing to do for the environment and for local communities.”

Environment Minister Thérèse Coffey added:

“Since we introduced the 5p charge in 2015, the number of single-use plastic bags taken home has plummeted by 83%.

“I welcome Tesco wanting to go further and help their customers use even fewer plastic bags. The switch to a Bag for Life will continue to help reduce litter and boost recycling – helping to leave the environment in a better state than we found it.”

Since launching in 2015, Bags of Help has provided more than £33 million to over 6,400 local community projects, including:

• Robert Kett Primary School in Wymondham, which was awarded a £10K grant from Bags of Help to transform a double decker bus into a library for pupils to visit during playtimes to sample the books or take part in creative activities including Lego, painting and knitting.
• Grove Park Surgery in Hounslow, who received £5,000 to develop a therapeutic garden for patients with chronic illness or who are socially isolated to grow fruit and vegetables.
• Bedworth United Football Club in Bedworth, who were awarded nearly £3,000 to install a training pitch to allow more coaching facilities for young people.

Commenting on Bags of Help Graham Duxbury, Groundwork’s Chief Executive, said:

“Since it launched in 2015 Bags of Help has had an incredible impact on the environment – through the reduction of carrier bags used in Tesco stores and by providing funding for community groups to develop local projects that benefit the people and the places where they live.

“This step will see those environmental benefits increase, and we’re delighted that communities will continue to be able to access Bags of Help funding.”

Community groups and charities can apply for Bags of Help funding and Tesco customers can nominate projects they’d like to see receive some cash. Visit www.tesco.com/bagsofhelp to find out more.

Notes to editors

• Tesco’s Bags of Help sees grants of up to £4,000 being awarded to local community projects.
• So far Bags of Help has awarded over £33 million to more than 6,400 local community projects.
• Tesco is working with Groundwork, community charity, to deliver Bags of Help.
• For more information please visit: www.tesco.com/bagsofhelp/

Source: Tesco

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Tesco’s Bags of Help initiative expanded to new monthly format

CHESHUNT, England, 2016-Nov-28 — /EPR Retail News/ — Thousands more community groups will bag a cash boost from Tesco’s Bags of Help initiative after the supermarket announced plans to invite customers to vote for their favourite community projects every month.

Previously the awards programme ran every nine months, but from 1 December Tesco customers will decide on a monthly basis which groups get grants of up to £5,000, £2,000 and £1,000 in regions up and down the country.

It’s expected the new monthly format will see more than 7,000 projects receive vital funding every year. Funding will continue to be awarded to groups seeking to use and develop outdoor spaces in ways that will benefit their local community.

Matt Davies, UK CEO from Tesco said:

“Over the last year, the money raised from our customers buying single-use carrier bags has resulted in £24 million being awarded to over 2,400 local community projects – all chosen by our customers.

“I’ve seen first-hand the diversity of brilliant projects, ranging from outdoor classrooms, sports facilities, community gardens, play areas and everything in-between.

“In order for even more local projects to benefit from this money, customers will now be invited to vote for their favourite community projects every time they shop with us.”

Voting for the first month’s groups will run in Tesco stores across the UK throughout December. Customers will be able to cast their vote using a token given to them at the check-out in store each time they shop.

Tesco is working with environmental improvement charity, Groundwork, to help deliver its Bags of Help scheme.

Groundwork’s national Chief Executive, Graham Duxbury, said:

“The money raised by Tesco customers through Bags of Help has already made a massive difference in communities.

“Now that the scheme will be permanently open for applications, we expect even more communities to benefit from fantastic projects that create or provide access to better, healthier and greener places.”

Tesco and Groundwork are always calling out for nominations from community groups and customers – find out more at www.tesco.com/bagsofhelp

NOTES TO EDITORS:

  • 600 community groups will receive a grant each month: three in each of the 200 Tesco regions
  • The group with the most votes will receive up to £5,000, with second place receiving up to £2,000 and third place up to £1,000
  • Every year more than 7,000 projects will receive funding
  • Voting will take place from the 1st of the month to the last Saturday of the month, with projects changing monthly
  • The initiative is supported by money from the five pence charge levied on single-use carrier bags
  • Customers and community groups are able to nominate projects they would like supported, by visiting www.tesco.com/bagsofhelp
  • Each month applications will be whittled down to three in each of Tesco’s regions by Tesco colleagues who live and work in each region

For more information please visit: www.tesco.com/bagsofhelp

For more information please contact the Tesco Press Office on 01707 918 701

Source: Tesco

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Tesco customers saved over 1.5 billion carrier bags in England since Government bag charge introduction

Tesco customers saved over 1.5 billion carrier bags in England since Government bag charge introduction
Tesco customers saved over 1.5 billion carrier bags in England since Government bag charge introduction

 

CHESHUNT, England, 2016-Oct-05 — /EPR Retail News/ — Tesco has revealed over 1.5 billion single-use carrier bags have been saved by Tesco customers in England since the introduction of the Government bag charge a year ago.

The figures represent an incredible 72% fall in the use of single-use plastic bags being used in Tesco stores.

Tesco customers shopping on tesco.com have also dramatically reduced the number of bags they use, with 57% of online shoppers selecting ‘bagless’ deliveries.

The Government’s 5p plastic bag charge was introduced in England on 5 October last year with the aim of cutting the number of plastic bags given out in shops and improving the environment.

Over the last year, the money raised by Tesco customers has been used to help fund 1170 community projects as part of Tesco’s Bags of Help initiative. The programme sees charities and community groups awarded grants ranging from £8,000 to £12,000, with Tesco customers able to choose which projects receive the most funding.

George Gordon, UK & ROI Communications Director at Tesco said: “We’re encouraging our customers to use fewer single-use bags, so these figures are really encouraging.

“Also the money raised from our customers buying bags is making a big difference to local communities across the country.

“Thanks to Bags of Help, nearly £12 million has been spent so far on local environmental improvement projects like parks, sports facilities, school playgrounds and community gardens – projects that have all been chosen by our customers.

“Going forward, we will help customers do even more for their communities by bringing together more projects for them to vote on every month.”

Tesco is working with the environmental improvement charity, Groundwork, to help deliver its Bags of Help scheme.

Groundwork’s national Chief Executive, Graham Duxbury, said: “Bags of Help is giving our communities both the funding and the support to create better, healthier and greener places for everyone to enjoy.

“We’ve been thrilled to see the diversity of projects that have applied for funding, ranging from outdoor classrooms, sports facilities, community gardens, play areas and everything in-between.

“They’re all fantastic projects that make a real difference in our neighbourhoods.”

The next customer vote will take place 31 October to 13 November in all of our stores and £12.5 million is up for grabs. The size of the grants available range from £8,000 to £12,000.

Tesco and Groundwork are always calling out for nominations from community groups and customers – find out more at www.tesco.com/bagsofhelp

For more information please contact the Tesco Press Office on 01707 918 701

Source: Tesco

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Tesco: people across UK can apply for grants or nominate projects to benefit from bag charge cash

CHESHUNT, England, 2015-10-20 — /EPR Retail News/ — The money raised from the government’s 5p bag charge in England will be used by Tesco to pay for a large number of local environmental improvement projects and from today, people right across the UK will be able to apply for grants or nominate online the local projects they want to see benefit from the funding.

The types of projects that are expected to get the green light include new pocket parks, sports facilities, woodland walks and community gardens.

Nominated projects will be whittled down to a shortlist of three for each region, and in early 2016 Tesco customers will be able to vote both instore and online for which of the shortlisted projects they most want to see get the go-ahead, with the winning projects announced shortly afterwards.

The size of the grants available range from £8,000 to £12,000, and Tesco is working with environmental charity Groundwork to administer the scheme.

Rebecca Shelley, Group Communications Director for Tesco said:

“It’s incredibly important we do our bit to reduce our impact on the environment and we’re really proud of the work we’ve done in this area, particularly in reducing waste.

“We’re going to work together with our customers in to make sure the millions of pounds that will be raised from the bag charge goes towards making a real difference for our local communities.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for local environmental projects to get off the ground, and I’d like to encourage as many people as possible to get involved and nominate the projects that really matter to them.”

Tesco sees protecting the environment as an essential part of being a responsible business. The retailer has set an ambitious target to be a zero carbon business by 2050, and has led the industry in its work to reduce food waste.

Six projects will receive funding in each of 428 regions annually, which means that around 2,500 different projects will receive funding from the bag charge after just one year.

Graham Duxbury, Groundwork CEO said:

“There are so many benefits to be gained from making sure our communities have well designed, well managed green space near to where they live.  People are healthier because they can exercise in the fresh air, grow their own food or just get away from the hustle and bustle of the city.  Communities are stronger because people get to know their neighbours and families have more places to have fun together.

“We’re delighted to be working alongside Tesco stores and customers to bring these benefits to thousands of communities across the UK.”

Notes to editors

• Local projects and charities can be nominated here: www.tesco.com/carrier-bags

For more information please contact the Tesco Press Office on  01992 644645

We are a team of over 500,000 people in 12 markets dedicated to providing the most compelling offer to our customers.

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Tesco anticipates plastic carrier bag use in England to drop by nearly 70% as a result of the 5p carrier bag charge

CHESHUNT, England, 2015-9-30 — /EPR Retail News/ — From October 5th, customers at all large UK shops will be charged 5p for each single-use carrier bag they use during their shopping trip as part of a new Government scheme.

Based on statistics from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland – where a bag charge already exists – Tesco anticipates plastic carrier bag use in England to drop by nearly 70% as a result.

To help customers reduce their bag use and become accustomed to using Bags for Life, in England Tesco will offer a limited number of free Bags for Life at the till during the week before the charge comes into force. Tesco will also share a variety of top tips on how customers can cut down the number of bags used during each shopping trip.

Tips include the importance of making sure you have a bag stashed in your car boot, as well as techniques for folding bags extra small so they can fit in a purse or handbag.

Tesco has also revamped the design of its single-use carrier bags, to coincide with the introduction of the bag charge. The new bags are made of recycled plastic and are much stronger and sturdier. This means fewer will be needed for each shopping trip, which will help customers save money as well as the environment. The new bags will be manufactured using a ‘Closed Loop’ system, which means they will be made from plastic recycled from Tesco stores. Tesco customers will be able to recycle their used bags in store.

The bag charge in Scotland and Wales has so far help raise over £5 million for the RSPB, Keep Scotland Beautiful and Keep Wales Tidy. The bag charge in England is also expected to raise millions, and it is expected to be the biggest ever single source of funding for community projects generated by Tesco customers.

Rebecca Shelley, Group Communications Director for Tesco said:

“It’s incredibly important we do our bit for the environment and we’re really proud of the work we’ve done in this area, particularly in reducing waste.

“We want to do everything we can to help our customers minimise the impact of the charge as well as their impact on the environment, by helping them recycle and re-use their bags.

“We’re also going to work together with our customers to make sure the millions that will be raised from the bag charge goes towards making a real difference for our local communities.”

Tesco sees protecting the environment as an essential as part of being a responsible business. The retailer has set an ambitious target to be a zero carbon business by 2050, and has led the industry in its work to reduce food waste.

Environment Minister Rory Stewart said:

“Using fewer plastic bags will have a huge impact on our natural and marine environment and will help clean up our high streets, but if people do need to take a new plastic bag from a shop, they should feel confident that their money is going to a good cause – done properly this new initiative will be of huge benefit to our environment, and to society.

“Tesco’s programme will give shoppers a say in where their money goes and means all proceeds will be reinvested in local communities. We’d love to encourage other retailers to come forward with innovative schemes that support communities or the environment.”

The money raised from the 5p bag charge in England will be used to pay for a large number of local environmental improvement projects in communities right across the UK. The kinds of projects that will get the green light as a result of the funding will include building new pocket parks, sports facilities, woodland walks and community gardens.

Tesco customers will get the chance to vote in store and online for the projects they most want to go ahead in their own local areas. Six projects will receive funding in each of 432 regions annually, which means that around 2,500 different projects are expected to receive funding from the bag charge after just one year. The amount of funding available for individual local projects will range from £8,000 to £12,000.

Tesco is calling on customers to nominate local good causes they would like to see benefit from the money. Nominations will be whittled down to three good causes that customers can choose from to vote for in each area. Administration of the local funding will be handled by environmental improvement charity Groundwork, which specialises in supporting communities to transform local green spaces for the better.

Graham Duxbury, Groundwork UK chief executive, said:

“The bag charge is all about making sure we do what we can to create a better environment.  Using the proceeds of the charge to help people improve parks and green spaces on their doorstep doubles the benefit.  There are so many benefits to be gained from making sure people have well designed, well managed green space near to where they live.

“People are healthier because they can exercise in the fresh air, grow their own food or just get away from the hustle and bustle of the city.  Communities are stronger because people get to know their neighbours and families have more places to have fun together.  Local green spaces can also help tackle bigger issues – increasing biodiversity and reducing the impacts of climate change.  We’re delighted to be working alongside Tesco stores and customers to bring these benefits to thousands of communities across the UK.”

For more information please contact the Tesco Press Office on 01992 644645

We are a team of over 500,000 people in 12 markets dedicated to providing the most compelling offer to our customers.