West Dunbartonshire Community Foodshare has bagged a £7,500 boost after being awarded funding through Scotmid Co-operative’s Community Connect.

The charity – which helps people in the area experiencing food poverty by distributing food, toiletries, uniforms and toys to those in immediate need – is set to use the funds to put a new project.

The ‘Cooking and Growing’ programme will enable people to learn how to grow their own food and cook healthy meals on a budget.

Trustee Clair Coyle said: “We’re obviously delighted to have been awarded £7,500 funding through Community Connect – thanks to all the Scotmid members, who voted for us.

“We will use the funding to roll out a new project with the aim of educating people about how they can eat nutritional meals by using cheap ingredients – eating well doesn’t have to cost a fortune.

“The people we support are all experiencing the effects of poverty and the £7,500 Community Connect funding will make a huge difference.”

Scotmid Co-operative chief executive John Brodie said the outcome was decided by the votes cast by our members.

: “Congratulations to West Dunbartonshire Community Foodshare, who are the first good cause group in Scotmid’s West Member Region to be awarded £7,500 funding through our Community Connect initiative, which is funded from the sale of single-use carrier bags.

“The outcome was decided by the votes cast by our members and it is great to be able to award all the short-listed groups with funding to enable them to continue the good work that they do.”