Co-op’s Eco Fund pays out more than double 2019 total

GUERNSEY projects will benefit from a total of more than £11,000 from the Channel Islands Co-operative Society’s Eco Fund.

Agi Savcenko, who works in Health Connection’s Pre-loved & Re-loved store in Smith Street, which received £1,500 from the Co-op’s Eco Fund which the charity said would help it raise awareness of the shop.

More than 60 charities, schools, community groups and organisations across the Channel Islands applied for funding and more than £24,000 was paid out.

Just 22 organisations applied last year when £11,000 was donated across the Bailiwicks.

‘We believe that a number of factors have contributed to the rise in applications, including a focus on protecting our local environment in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, the limited number of funds available locally and the positive impact Eco Fund money has had on our local communities since 2008,’ said CI Co-op chief executive Mark Cox.

The 11 Guernsey beneficiaries that will share £11,664 include The Clean Earth Trust, Wellbeing Animals Guernsey, Floral St Saviour, Youth Commission for Guernsey and Alderney and Amherst Primary School.

Another was local charity Health Connections, which runs the Pre-loved & Re-loved shop in Smith Street. Its aim is to promote the positive impacts on our environment by selling pre-owned clothing, homeware and furniture.

Health Connections chief executive Bella Farrell said: ‘This money [£1,500] will help us so much to raise awareness of our Pre-loved & Re-loved store. All money raised in the shop supports our directory to doorstep service which connects people in the community. We can now invest in promoting the ethos of the shop and its role as a community hub.’

The Osprey Nests Project is another recipient. Migration of these birds of prey has started again only recently and with the installation of a second platform at St Saviour’s Reservoir it is hoped it will help to encourage osprey and other migratory birds to nest there.

The Eco Fund grant of £1,000 will be used to support a programme that builds nests for the ospreys and help with an ongoing national breeding programme. ONP representative Vic Froome said: ‘We have fantastic wildlife that is under tremendous pressure. I am so proud of our islands and to work with wildlife in their habitats. Now ospreys are a part of that, and it is my life.’

The Eco Fund was launched when the Co-op was one of the first retailers to introduce a 5p levy on single use carrier bags. Since then a ring-fenced fund has been donated every year.

This year, ahead of the single-use bag ban in 2021, the society has increased the price of its bag for life from 10p to 15p.