SPAR UK’s Community Cashback campaign awards £96K to community groups across the UK

SPAR is celebrating the fifth successful year of its Community Cashback campaign, awarding £96,000 to 23 local charities and community groups across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

The initiative sees SPAR’s regional distribution centres put grant funding directly back into the hands of the causes that matter most in their local communities. This year’s Community Cashback scheme attracted thousands of applications from grassroots organisations, ranging from search and rescue services and youth charities to conservation groups and community sports clubs.

Ian Taylor, Retail & Brand Development Director at SPAR UK, said: “There is nothing better than a community that comes together, and it’s great to see how people across the UK care about their local communities. SPAR is passionate about nurturing neighbourhoods and empowering people to make a positive difference to where they live.

We had such a brilliant response to this year’s Community Cashback campaign, rewarding a variety of local organisations and charities who help others, and we’re delighted to see the difference this grant funding will make in communities right across the UK.”

AF Blakemore, the SPAR wholesaler for the Midlands, South England and Wales, awarded a combined £38,000 across five community organisations. Top grants of £10,000 each went to RNLI Margate lifeboat station in Kent and Penryn Rugby Football Club in Cornwall, while £6,000 grants supported the Pathway Project in the Midlands, the Children’s Sailing Trust in Cornwall and The Dragon Theatre in Barmouth, North Wales.

The courageous lifeboat volunteers at RNLI Margate have been saving lives at sea for more than 160 years with a 24-hour search and rescue service to protect the local community and visitors. Claire Johnson at RNLI said, “This grant will allow us to keep saving lives by supporting the rebuild of our lifeboat station and lifeguard facility. With so many people visiting Margate and the surrounding beaches, the lifeboat station continues to have a critical role and is an invaluable asset to the town.”

James Hall, the SPAR wholesaler for the North of England, awarded a combined £25,000 to nine local causes. The top grant of £10,000 went to Behind Closed Doors, a Leeds-based charity providing support to survivors of domestic abuse, while £5,000 was awarded to Maryport Rescue for its search and rescue operations in Cumbria. Further grants supported Niemann-Pick UK, Bentham Playing Fields Association, CancerCare North Lancashire and South Cumbria, Barnsley Youth Choir, Susan’s Farm, The Wolsingham Wayfarers and Friday Night Football.

Henderson Group, the SPAR wholesaler for Northern Ireland, awarded seven organisations across the region, receiving a combined £20,000 in funding. The top award of £10,000 went to Plough On, a Cookstown-based charity supporting older farmers experiencing rural isolation, while Skywatch NI received £5,000 for its drone-based search and support service. A further five charities, Accidental Theatre, K9 Search & Rescue NI, The Road Ahead NI, Together 21 Northern Ireland and Include Youth’s Give and Take programme each received £1,000.

Plough On will use the grant to deliver its programme across 17 rural locations, creating welcoming spaces where older farmers can connect, talk and access support. Nikki Foster-Moreira, Social Farming & Innovation Programme Manager at Plough On, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to receive the SPAR Community Cashback Grant. This funding will make a real difference by supporting our Plough On groups, which provide a welcoming space for older male farmers to come together, connect with others, and support their mental health and wellbeing.”

CJ Lang, the SPAR wholesaler for Scotland, awarded a combined £13,000 to two local causes through this year’s scheme. The Cetacean Research & Rescue Unit (CRRU), based in Gardenstown, Banff, received the top grant of £10,000 to support marine conservation, field research and its 24-hour emergency wildlife rescue service. Missing Pets Dundee & Angus, a volunteer-led group that has spent 13 years reuniting lost pets with their owners, received £3,000 towards equipment, vehicle and insurance costs.

Ian Taylor at SPAR added: “Our grant scheme is aimed at supporting and giving back to the communities where we have our shops. As we celebrate SPAR’s 70th anniversary this year, it feels more fitting than ever, and we’ve seen first-hand how much previous grant winners have benefited from this scheme. We know that together, we are making a real difference in communities.”

Community Cashback forms part of SPAR’s wider commitment to supporting the communities its stores serve. Further information on the scheme, including how organisations can apply, is available at spar.co.uk/community/community-cashback.