THE Cheshire Buddy Scheme has received a donation of £4,000 which has been used towards trips and activities for children with disabilities, thanks to funding from Tesco.

Tesco works in partnership with charity Groundwork to deliver its Bags of Help funding scheme. The scheme awards grants to a variety of local projects across Britain.

The grants are raised from the sale of carrier bags and the recipients voted for by customers in store.

The Cheshire Buddy Scheme is a registered charity which supports children and young people with disabilities through activity clubs, holiday clubs and residential breaks. The charity has used the funding to plan and execute wish-list trips and activities for young children with disabilities, which most children may take for granted.

These trips have included visiting Chester Zoo, Blackpool illuminations and Chill Factor as well as simple pleasures such as crab fishing and picnics on the beach.

The funding has also been used to invite sports coaches to the club’s sessions to encourage children to take part in activities such as rugby, football, cricket and basketball. They also have an arts and crafts and cookery area where they invite pottery and cooking teachers in to hold classes.

Stephanie Lawley, spokesperson for Cheshire Buddy Scheme, said: “It has been wonderful to see the children grow in confidence in day-to-day tasks. The classes such as painting, pottery and sports really allow them to come out of their shell and make new friends.

“The majority of the children who pass through our doors are reserved and lacking in confidence. But at Cheshire buddies we believe every child should have the same opportunities and thanks to funding from Tesco we have been able to do exactly that.

“We asked the children to pull together a wish-list for the places they’d love to visit and thanks to Tesco we’ve been able to make their wishes come true. Everyday pleasures in life such as playing on the beach and paddling your feet in the sea are the kinds of things these children hope to do. It’s extremely heart-warming to see the enjoyment in their faces by taking part in something so simple.”

Keith Jackson, Bags of Help manager at Tesco, said: “This is another wonderful example of how Bags of Help funding can help change the lives of individuals. Allowing children with disabilities the same fun and friendly opportunities as other children is a great source of funding and I am thrilled that the local community voted Cheshire Buddies as their chosen charity.”

Funding is available to community groups and charities looking to fund local projects that bring benefits to communities. Anyone can nominate a project, and organisations can apply online. To find out more visit www.tesco.com/bagsofhelp