SPAR UK partner A.F. Blakemore has launched a Community Cashback Grant scheme across its SPAR stores to thank groups who are there for vulnerable people during the COVID-19 crisis. The company is giving away £30,000 in total to local charities and community groups across its trading area to help.

“A.F. Blakemore has played a key role in local communities throughout the coronavirus pandemic – supplying essential goods and services via its SPAR stores, supporting Royal Volunteer Service’s Volunteer Responders scheme and helping local councils feed vulnerable people via its foodservice operation”, said Group Marketing Director Sarah Ellis.

“At the same time the business has received a lot of great support back from local communities, and we want to say thank you to everyone doing great things for others. We hope that our Community Cashback grants go a small way to helping people in need”, she added.

The Community Cashback Grant scheme was launched across the partner’s SPAR Facebook pages on 15 June and will close for applications on 9 July.

Grants will be awarded to good causes across four regions, voted for by the public on a weekly basis.

Every Monday 12 finalists will be announced on A.F. Blakemore’s website and SPAR Facebook pages, and the public will be able to vote for the group they want to receive the top grant of £1,000 in their region.

In each region the group that receives the most public votes will receive £1,000, the group with the second most votes will receive £500, and the group with the third most votes will receive £375.

At the end of the four weeks, there will be 48 winners in total. All organisations must do to apply for a grant is fill in a simple application form.

The Community Cashback initiative was first launched by fellow SPAR UK wholesaler the Henderson Group earlier this year before being adopted by A.F. Blakemore this summer.

Source: SPAR UK

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About SPAR UK

The UK became a member of SPAR in 1956 when a group of independent wholesalers was granted the SPAR licence by SPAR International. There are five regional partners in the UK with strategically placed Distribution Centres in each region. A central office, located in London, provides national marketing and buying services for the group and supports the development of the brand.

SPAR has led the convenience market in the UK for many years but has faced increasing competition. Always innovative, the five regional partners have continued to grow the brand. Throughout the UK, a combination of independently-owned licensed retailers and company-owned stores can be found, spanning forecourts, airports, train stations, city centres, and local neighbourhoods.