Burnley and Pendle good causes receive early Christmas presents from Co-op

The money will be shared by three organisations, all of whom are making a real difference to communities throughout the region.

These include Colne Parish Church St Bartholomew, Trawden Forest Community Centre CIO and Burnley FC in the Community.

This is the latest round of pay outs from the local community fund, and brings the amount the Co-op members have invested in causes in Burnley since the scheme launched in September 2016 to £23,500.

Nationally, nearly 4,500 groups are sharing over £17 million, bringing the total value of the fund since its launch to over £56 million.

Rebecca Birkbeck, Director of Community and Shared Value at the Co-op, said: “The local community fund is now a well-established way of supporting local causes who help to make communities safer, happier, and healthier places to live, and we’re delighted to be able to support such a wide range of local groups as they help to improve wellbeing in Burnley.

“By choosing their local cause online, our members are telling us what really matters in their communities, and we have used this information to help us identify new groups to support throughout next year.

"Feedback from our own Community Wellbeing Index – which highlights the areas where communities can benefit from support – has shown us that we should be focused on protecting and improving community spaces, helping people reach their full potential by developing their skills, and promoting health and wellbeing.”

When members shop with the Co-op, 1% of what they spend on selected Co-op branded products and services goes to support local causes through the Local Community Fund.

By joining the Co-op’s membership scheme shoppers can contribute to the money raised for the causes, and they can choose which of these causes they wish to support by logging on to the Co-op’s membership website at www.coop.co.uk/membership.