TESCO is asking its Wirral customers to do their bit to help give children across the UK a stronger start in life.

As part of ‘Stronger Starts’, Tesco’s new £5m-a-year grant scheme, support will be given to schools and children’s groups with funding for food and healthy activities.

Shoppers are being asked to come into store and drop the Tesco blue token they receive at checkout into the voting box for one of three local schools or young person’s projects.

The grants awarded will help schools and children’s groups provide nutritious food and healthy activities that support young people’s physical health and mental wellbeing, such as breakfast clubs or snacks, and equipment for healthy activities.

The scheme, supported by UK community charity Groundwork, replaces the former Tesco Community Grants funding programme.

Recent research from Groundwork found that 78% of schools are currently having to provide food for children from their own budget.

And Stronger Starts research carried out by Tesco in July, found that more than half (51%) of parents agree that their child struggles to concentrate at school if they do not have breakfast.

Other highlights showed that nine out of 10 (90%) 5-11 year-olds want to help others when they grow up and make the world a better place. 92% of them also said that looking after the planet was important to them.

'Our aim is to inspire children'

Claire De Silva, Head of Communities and Local Media, said: "We are so excited to be bringing thousands of schools and children’s projects our Stronger Starts grants.

"Our aim is to inspire children who deserve the opportunity to thrive and give our customers the chance to vote with their blue tokens for their local schools and children’s projects that need extra help."

Schools and children’s groups will be able to apply via Groundwork for a grant of up to £1,500.

Grants are for activities that focus on providing food to kids such as fruit for breakfast clubs or snacks to enjoy throughout the day, and for equipment for outdoor and indoor activities.  

Successful applications will go to a customer vote in their local Tesco store. Two out of the three blue token voting boxes by the checkout will be dedicated to local schools with the third given over to local community projects nominated by each store’s colleagues.

Customers can then choose which of the three projects they’d like to support by voting with a blue token. 

Schools or children’s groups that could benefit from a Stronger Starts grant, can apply by visiting www.tescoplc.com/strongerstarts.