More than a dozen community groups and organisations in Coventry, Warwickshire and south Leicestershire have benefited from the latest round of grants from the Heart of England Co-operative Society’s Helping Hearts Appeal.

In the last month alone the Society has given away more than £3,000 which will help make a difference to hundreds of people, including guides, members of Coventry’s Irish community and schoolchildren.

Helping Hearts was set up in 2000. The latest round of donations takes the total distributed across the region to £485,000.

Among those to have benefited in Coventry and Warwickshire are the Cubbington Ranger Guides, who received £200 towards a summer trip to an International Guide Centre in London, the Irish Elders Centre, given £200 towards a holiday in Ireland, The Stroke Association in Stratford upon Avon, awarded £200 towards travelling costs and the Terrence Higgins Trust, given £200 towards an Easter party.

In Hinckley and Nuneaton Arden Forest Infant School was awarded £100 of goods to provide food as part of a ‘Walk to School Breakfast’ which urges children and parents to walk to school together before enjoying breakfast at the school.

The Barwell and Earl Shilton Disability Group received £150 towards trips out for members aged 60 and 95, Nuneaton Festival of Arts was awarded £100 towards producing programmes and St Mary’s Church in Hinckley was awarded £200 towards refurbishing its coffee bar.

Also in Hinckley and Nuneaton St Peter’s RC School received £100 towards an outdoor trim trail for children, Stoney Stanton Village Community Hall received £200 towards new tables and equipment and Tiny Tots Toddler Group was awarded £200 for new toys. The cash will be used to replace equipment which had to be disposed of when asbestos was found in their building.

The 22nd Beaver Colony received £150 towards a trip to the Sealife Centre, Bishops Itchington Primary School was awarded £250 towards renovating a courtyard area for children to sit and have lunch and Home-Start North East Warwickshire was given £150 to help with volunteer expenses.

Lord Robartes Regiment of Foote received £150 towards promoting historical awareness and research into the English Civil Wars, Windmills Nursery School was awarded £200 towards setting up a Forest School to help raise environmental awareness among children and Yelvertoft Village Hall was given £300 towards the refurbishment of its old lavatory block.

Speaking of the latest round of awards Jo Dyke, Community and Membership Adviser at the Heart of England Co-operative Society, said: “Once again we have had requests for help from a wide range of groups which is excellent as it means our tobacco profits are reaching thousands of people across our trading area and helping some of the most deserving causes.

“As a community retailer we feel it is right to share our profits with these organisations, to continue backing their good work and in many cases to help benefit some of Coventry, Warwickshire and south Leicestershire’s most needy people.”