Lanark school scoops Tesco poly bag cash

Kirkfieldbank group have also been bag packing at Tesco to raise funds for the new park

The supermarket teamed up with greenspace scotland to launch its Bags of Help initiative, which sees grants of £12,000, £10,000 and £8,000 – all raised from the 5p bag levy – awarded to environmental projects.

Almost a million shoppers in Scotland voted in stores up and down the country.

And the top Clydesdale winners was Lanark Primary School’s Mud Kitchen and Creative Construction which will receive £12,000.

Kirkfieldbank Community Group receive £10,000 towards the cost of a new park for the village.

The park will see a range of activities including an outdoor gym for adults, an improved path, a picnic area, orchard and a new football pitch. Tipped to become a real asset to the area, not just for Kirkfieldbank, but for the whole of the Clyde Valley, the new park will increase accessibility to the outdoors for all generations, in a safe environment and importantly will be free of charge!

The £10,000 specifically requested to help towards the building of the sensory garden is a huge step forward.

Susan Hamilton, Chair of the KFB Park Campaign said: “A huge thank you to everyone who voted for us and Tesco for choosing us as one of their projects to support.

“This will help us to achieve our goal, which is to have a park that is suitable for all ages and abilities.

“The sensory garden, that the grant money is for, will most certainly be used by all”

And Law Primary and Nursery School, Every Little Helps Law Grow and Learn receives £8,000.

“We came third, but it is still great that we were awarded £8000,” said one of the school project organisers.

Tony McElroy, Tesco’s Head of Communications in Scotland, said: “Bags of Help has been a fantastic success.

“We have been overwhelmed by the response of our customers and the feedback has been brilliant.

“We can’t wait to see the money being put to use bringing these projects to life.

“Applications for the next round of the initiative will open in April and we look forward to helping a further selection of groups and projects bag their share of the bag charge fund.”

Voting ran in stores from February27 until March 6 – with customers choosing which local project they’d like to get the top award using a token given to them at the check-out in store.

Tesco estimated that around eight million votes were cast in stores up and down the UK.