SWANSEA CANAL SOCIETY is bidding for a massive cash boost from the Tesco Bags of Help initiative. We are asking you to vote for the Society in the Tesco Pontardawe store during July and August.

Tesco teamed up with Groundwork to launch its community funding scheme, which sees grants of £4,000, £2,000 and £1,000 – all raised from the 5p bag levy – being awarded to local community projects.

Three groups in every Tesco region have been shortlisted to receive the cash award and shoppers are being invited to head along to Tesco stores to vote for who they think should take away the top grant.

Swansea Canal Society is one of three groups on the shortlist for Tesco’s store in Pontardawe.

We wish to purchase a trailer to transport canoes and kayaks.

We have been running a successful Canoe Hire facility in Coed Gwilym Park, Clydach each Sunday since April 2014. This year, the facility was also made available on Tuesdays in the summer school holidays. We have had many customers enjoying our canoes and kayaks. The canoes currently navigate between Clydach and Trebanos locks. We now wish to be able to offer canoeing on the northern section of the in-water canal, from Pontardawe to Ynysmeudwy. To do so, we require a trailer to transport the canoes and kayaks from the store in Coed Gwilym Park, Clydach to Pontardawe and beyond.

Voting is open in Tesco stores throughout July and August. Customers will cast their vote using a token given to them at the check-out in store each time they shop.

Tesco’s Bags of Help project has already delivered over £30 million to more than 4,600 projects up and down the UK. Tesco customers get the chance to vote for three different groups every time they shop. Every other month, when votes are collected, three groups in each of Tesco’s regions will be awarded funding.

Lindsey Crompton, Head of Community at Tesco, said:

“We are absolutely delighted to open the voting for July and August. There are some fantastic projects on the shortlists and we can’t wait to see them come to life in hundreds of communities.”

Groundwork’s National Chief Executive, Graham Duxbury, said:

“We’ve been thrilled to see the diversity of projects that have applied for funding, ranging from outdoor classrooms, sports facilities, community gardens, play areas and everything in between.

“We’re looking forward to learning the results of the customer vote and then supporting each group to bring their project to life.”

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

Please vote for the Swansea Canal Society in Tesco’s store in Pontardawe.

The Swansea Canal Society was formed in 1981. We became a registered charity in 2004 and modified the charitable status in 2016 to a Charitable Incorporated Organisation. We have a linear water park that we should all be proud of and the Society is dedicated to improving that amenity for everyone’s benefit. Our aims are:

• To promote the heritage and history of the canal.
• To protect its wildlife
• To restore the canal to navigable standards
• To improve the canal environment for the health and benefit of all visitors.