TESCO Wokingham has been praised for the lifeline its regular community funding gives to local charities.
SALAMA, a group supporting abused people is the latest to benefit from the store’s Stronger Starts scheme, which gives funding to community groups.
The Finchampstead Road store as part of the scheme, awards funds to charities and community organisations that make a positive difference to people’s lives.
Shoppers are able to vote for local good causes to receive a £500, £1,000 or £1,500 grants by dropping Tesco blue tokens they receive at checkout into a voting box as they leave.
In the latest round of voting, Project SALAMA was awarded £500 to help fund its Chai and Chats informal drop-in sessions.
These provide volunteer mental health practitioners, therapists, outreach workers and independent domestic violence advocates, and sexual violence advocates to support those in need.
SALAMA founder Jacqui Mukono also praised Louise Jedras, the store’s community champion, who helps to oversee the donations of food and thousands of pounds’ worth of grants to the Wokingham community.
Jacqui said: “The Tesco grants really are a lifeline to charities.
“The funds put us out there in the public domain so that victim-survivors know we are there. “Every single penny allows us to continue our work of supporting victim-survivors within the community.
The charity offers long-term open-ended support to victim-survivors of abuse.
“We couldn’t do this work without organisations like Tesco, which has amazing community champions like Louise who offer us the much-needed support.,” she said.
“This support ensures that we fundraise, that we have items for our chai and chats, and that we can offer our families much-needed food items.
“We really are so grateful to Tesco and to community champions like Louise for their generosity and dedication to community support and engagement.”
Project SALAMA also aims to deliver monthly online and face-to-face support groups across six locations for up to 10 participants each, as well as offering free guided peer support, signposting and mental health interventions.
Louise Jedras said: “We’re always thrilled to donate funding to local organisations such as Project SALAMA.
“They are a brilliant charity offering so many vital services.
“It’s so good to see the positive impact that funding like this makes, and I’d certainly urge our customers to continue using their blue tokens to vote for local schemes they feel will benefit people of Wokingham and the surrounding area.”
For information, visit: tescostrongerstarts.org.ukand projectsalama.co.uk
