Chester FC Community Trust is bidding for a massive cash boost from the Tesco Bags of Help initiative.
Tesco teamed up with Groundwork to launch a funding scheme where grants of £4,000, £2,000 and £1,000 raised from carrier bag sales in Tesco stores awarded to 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.
Chester FC Community Trust is one of the groups on the shortlist.
The grant will support the charity’s Reach Your Goal project which uses football to engage with and improve the lives of men, at risk of, or experiencing mental health problems.
The project combines weekly football sessions with mental fitness coaching, helping participants to increase physical activity levels, raise self-esteem and confidence, develop coping strategies and build resilience in order to achieve positive changes to their physical and mental health.
Chester FC Community Trust chief executive Jim Green said: “It’s brilliant to be shortlisted for a Tesco Bags of Help grant and we hope our fans and wider community will get behind us.
“We’re really proud of what our mental health football programme has achieved so far and Reach Your Goal will allow us to take it to the next level and have an even greater impact on the lives of our participants.”
Voting is open in all Tesco stores during July and August and customers will cast their vote using a token given to them at the check-out in store each time they shop.
Customers can vote for Chester FC Community Trust in stores on Frodsham Street, Broughton Shopping Park, Pepper Street, Sealand Road, Weston Grove, and Delamere Street.
The Swansway Chester Stadium will also host a Sporting Memories cafe.
The cafes are a Brightlife funded project and will help reduce social isolation in people aged over 50 in Cheshire West and Chester.
They seek to tackle some of the most common problems older people across the world face, including dementia, depression and loneliness.
The cafes support older people through social activities, helping them recall memories of watching or playing sport.
Sessions are being supported by volunteers and partner agencies including Chester FC, Wesley Church Centre and the Hospice of the Good Shepherd.
The free cafes will be based at the Swansway Chester Stadium every Wednesday, the Hospice of the Good Shepherd every Friday, and Wesley Church Centre every Thursday starting July 26, all from 11am to noon.
Nont Iamkamphaeng, strategic lead for mental health at Active Cheshire, said: “Sharing memories of something that invokes such passion, as sport does for so many people, can truly help people connect.
“In the UK, 17% of older people are in contact with family, friends and neighbours less than once a week, and 11% in contact less than once a month.
“Lacking social connections increases likelihood of mortality by 26% and has been compared to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.”
Mr Green added: “Having previously worked with Sporting Memories, we jumped at the opportunity to host of the cafes.
“We hope to create a friendly, welcoming group where people can share their memories of sport and make new friends.”
