The Midcounties Co-operative has launched a new fund to support communities.

The Doing Good Together Fund will provide small grants for community causes, such as cricket team kits, park plants, and biscuits for book clubs.

The Midcounties Co-operative, which operates ten Co-op food stores in Worcestershire, as well as Co-op Travel, Co-op Childcare, Co-op Energy, and Co-op Broadband and Mobile businesses, aims to support communities with the initiative.

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The fund will be boosted by members' shopping points.

For every 1,000 points earned by members shopping at stores, a contribution will be made to the Doing Good Together Fund.

Members will now earn more points for purchasing Co-op own-brand products and services, including Fairtrade and Co-op Holidays.

The initiative is part of the next stage of the Co-op’s Doing Good Together membership proposition, launched last year.

Phil Ponsonby, chief executive officer of The Midcounties Co-operative, said: "Our members have told us how important it is for them to know that each time they spend money with us, they are helping to do good within their communities.

"Whether it be helping the creation of a dementia support group, a neighbourhood allotment, or supporting a local food bank, the Doing Good Together Fund is going to make sure that all of us can do just that.

"Every time a member buys their dinner in our food stores, books a holiday, takes out a broadband contract, or puts one of their children into one of our nurseries, a proportion of what they spend will be going directly back into the causes that they can champion and put forward for funding.

"By launching the fund, we are going further to deliver on our purpose to create a fairer, more sustainable, and ethical future and support communities by doing good together."