SOMERSET WILDLIFE TRUST SECURES FUNDING FROM TESCO’S BAGS OF HELP INITIATIVE BUT NEEDS HELP FROM PUBLIC TO RECEIVE THE MAXIMUM AWARD

Somerset Wildlife Trust has been selected as one of three charities in Somerset to benefit from Tesco’s community fundraising initiative ‘Tesco’s Bags of Help’, which awards grants raised from the 5p carrier bag charge to fund local community projects across the county Somerset Wildlife Trust is asking Tesco shoppers on Somerset’s coast to use the store’s token voting scheme to help it secure the maximum amount of £4000 to support its Brilliant Coast project, which ensures that Somerset’s coastal wildlife has a healthy future.

Ringed Plover chick. Photo: Nigel Phillips

The amount received by the three short-listed community groups and projects will be determined by a public vote, which will involve the use of tokens given out at till points in-store from now until 31st August, after which the amounts of £4,000, £2,000 and £1,000 will be awarded.  Shoppers will be able to cast their vote at three Tesco stores: Burnham-on-sea, North Petherton, and Bower Manor. To vote, you will need to make a purchase within store of any value. You will receive one token per transaction and it’s not necessary to purchase a carrier bag in order to receive a token.

Somerset Wildlife Trust is urging Tesco shoppers to vote so it is able to secure the maximum funds to support our coast.  

Michele Bowe, Director of conservation, Policy and Strategy at Somerset Wildlife Trust says:

“Somerset’s coast is under threat from major new developments, increasing tourism and climate change and to protect the precious habitat and wildlife found there we started a coastal survey last year. This work we do on Somerset’s coast, including important survey work gives us the information we need to create a comprehensive conservation plan to protect Somerset’s marine wildlife. Our survey will give us a detailed  picture of all the wonderful, and in many case entirely new species that live there and how best to protect them . Money given through the Tesco’s Bag of Help scheme will help us achieve this”.

More information about the Trust’s work on Somerset’s coast can be found here: www.somersetwildlife.org/coastappeal

This fundraising opportunity from the ‘Tesco’s Bag of Help’ initiative comes at a particularly great time, as it is National Marine Week from 29th July to 13th August and Somerset Wildlife Trust is raising awareness of the importance of coastal conservation through a series of events across Somerset.  So along with going to the supermarket and casting your vote, you can go along to one of their events to help look after our coast. More information on these events can be found here: www.somersetwildlife.org/iqs/cpti.10/events.html