Tesco blue token scheme reaches €10 million nationwide

Tesco Ireland' s blue token scheme has struck a significant milestone both nationwide and locally, with €10 Million in community impact projects donated across the country while €98,000 has made its way to projects and causes throughout Laois.

In total over 27,000 community projects have been funded across Ireland since the scheme was launched in 2014; they include but are not limited to: sensory gardens for children with autism, equipment for local sports clubs, community spaces designed to tackle social isolation and charities supporting vulnerable people.

Through the Tesco Community Fund, each of Tesco's 194 stores donate up to €1,500 every 12 weeks to three local community groups; customers decide where that funding is allocated by voting for their preferred cause using the blue tokens they receive at checkout.

Newly published data from the Community Fund highlights the scale of support provided nationwide since the programme launched in 2014:

€10 million donated to community organisations across Ireland.

Over 27,000 community projects supported €3.55 million invested in education and sport.

€3.06 million donated to organisations supporting health, disability, homelessness, mental health and addiction services.

€1.12 million provided to children's and youth organisations nationwide.

In Laois alone, 223 community projects have been supported through the Tesco Community Fund, with a precise total of €98,588 in funding; local schemes funded include the Laois-Offaly chapter of youth mental health service Jigsaw, Portlaoise AFC and the Heath National School.

Talking up the legacy and continuing work of the fund, Naomi Kasolowsky, Customer Director at Tesco Ireland said:

“When people hear €10 million, it sounds like a big number. But what really matters is the thousands of stories behind it. Every day, customers place a blue token in a voting box without thinking much about it, but what they might not realise is that those small acts of support have helped fund sensory gardens, sports equipment, youth services, community spaces and thousands of local projects across Ireland - every blue token represents a small act of support. Together, those small acts have helped over 27,000 projects across Ireland. That's the power of lots of people doing one small thing to help. And that's what Every Little Helps has always meant to us.” 

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme