Isle Of Wight Tesco Shoppers Urged To Support Local Schools And Children’s Groups

Shoppers on the Isle of Wight are being encouraged to vote for local organisations and schemes that help to give children their strongest start in life.

As adverts for Tesco’s Stronger Starts initiative hit TV screens from August 18, Isle of Wight customers can visit their nearest store and drop the blue token they receive at checkout into the voting box for one of three local schools or young people’s projects.

The initiative’s aim is to support schools and children’s groups with grants of up to £1,500 to provide nutritious food and healthy activities that aid physical health and mental wellbeing, such as breakfast clubs or snacks, and equipment for healthy activities.

Two out of the three blue token voting boxes by the Isle of Wight checkouts will be dedicated to local schools, and the third will be for local community projects nominated by each store’s colleagues.

Customers can choose which of the three projects they’d like to support by voting with a blue token.

Schools or children’s groups on the Isle of Wight that could benefit from a Stronger Starts grant are also being asked to apply online.

Claire De Silva, Head of Communities and Local Media, said:

“We are so excited to be bringing schools and children’s projects our Stronger Starts grants.

"Our aim is to inspire children who deserve the opportunity to thrive and give our customers the chance to vote with their blue tokens for their local schools and children’s projects that need extra help.”

The scheme, supported by UK community charity Groundwork, replaces the former Tesco Community Grants funding programme.

Recent research from Groundwork found that 78% of schools are currently having to provide food for children from their own budget.

In addition, Stronger Starts research carried out by Tesco in July found that more than half (51%) of parents agree that their child struggles to concentrate at school if they do not have breakfast.