Burntwood Town Council is bidding for a cash boost from the Tesco Stronger Starts scheme.

Stronger Starts provides grant awards of up to £1,500 to local community projects, with a particular focus on children and young people.

Three groups have been shortlisted to receive grant awards and Tesco customers can vote for the group they think should take away the top award in their local Tesco store.

Burntwood Town Council is one of the groups on the shortlist in Lichfield raising funds for Play in the Parks which they run throughout the summer holidays.

Play in the Parks are a popular series of free, family fun days held at different parks and open spaces in Burntwood which support local families with a day out and entertainment for the kids at no cost. Events include free fairground rides, inflatables, craft and sports activities, and are delivered in partnership with other local organisations such as Spark, Fun Club Hub and St John’s Community Church.

Cllr Laura Ennis, Chair of Burntwood Town Council said:

“We’re really pleased to have the chance to raise funds for Play in the Parks so that we can offer even more to local children this summer. Burntwood Town Council runs these events for free so that every family in our area can spend some time outdoors, have fun with their friends and enjoy the summer holidays without a cost attached. A huge thank you to Tesco for this opportunity, and if you’re doing your shopping over the next few weeks, please make sure to vote for Burntwood Town Council with your blue token.”

Voting is open in all Tesco stores from mid-January 2026 until 31st March 2026. Customers will cast their vote using a blue token given to them at the check-out each time they shop.

Tesco’s Stronger Starts – previously known as Tesco Bags of Help and Tesco Community Grants – has already provided over £127 million to more than 74,000 projects across Britain.

This £5m Stronger Starts grant programme, delivered in partnership with charity Groundwork, helps 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 sports equipment for after school clubs.

Claire de Silva, Tesco UK Head of Communities and Local Media said:

“Helping schools and children’s groups access the food and resources they need is vitally important in getting children a stronger start in life. Children with enough food have more energy, better concentration, and ultimately achieve more too.”

Graham Duxbury, Groundwork’s UK Chief Executive said:

“As a community charity, we have seen first-hand how schools and other groups supporting young people have been playing a much bigger role in ensuring children are getting a healthy start to the day and getting access to spaces and services to support physical activity and mental health. Family budgets are tight and school budgets are tight, but it’s so important that children stay fed, fit and focused, so we’re delighted to be able to prioritise these activities alongside Tesco with the Stronger Starts programme.”

Funding is available to community groups and charities looking to fund local projects that bring benefits to communities, particularly those helping to provide food and giving children the support they need for a good start in life.

Anyone can nominate a project and organisations can apply online. To find out more visit tescoplc.com/strongerstarts.