Children at Isleham Pre-School have fantastic new outdoor play equipment thanks to a £10,000 grant from Tesco’s Bags of Help campaign.

The supermarket teamed up with Groundwork to launch its Bags of Help initiative, which saw grants of £12,000, £10,000 and £8,000 – all raised from the 5p bag levy – being awarded to environmental and green space projects. Eight million shoppers voted in stores up and down the country.

The Tesco grant awarded to the Isleham Under Fives Association enabled the pre-school to up-date their outside area with equipment that is in-tune with the latest safety regulations.

Jenny O’Sullivan, pre-school manager said: “This could not have happened at a better time; the equipment was installed just before our Ofsted inspector came to visit and our setting was awarded ‘Outstanding’.

“After the inspection, the children and their family members celebrated the Queen’s 90th birthday, it was a fabulous way to let the children enjoy the new equipment. We thank Tesco Bags of Help for giving us the opportunity to enhance our community pre-school”

Caroline Silke, head of community at Tesco, said: “It is wonderful to see how the money from our Bags of Help initiative has been spent. This is money that has come directly from Tesco customers living and shopping in each of our regions up and down the country.”

Voting ran in the Ely store from February 27 until March 2016 – with customers choosing which group they’d like to get the top award using a token given to them at the check-out in store.

“Applications for the next round of Bags of Help funding is already open. It’s a rolling programme now, so groups can apply any time. And now there’s revenue funding included,” said John Ellerby, Groundwork’s Bags of Help enabler for Norfolk. He can be contacted on john.ellerby@groundwork.org.uk. For all the details go to www.groundwork.org.uk/sites/tescocommunityscheme