A Walworth youth charity is appealing for locals’ help to win £12,000 prize money, by voting for them in Tesco supermarkets.
InSpire, which brings arts and sports programmes to troubled youngsters has been shortlisted with two other south London charities.
The money Tesco is donating was raised using the 5p plastic bag charges, which all UK supermarkets are required by law to donate to charitable causes.
To get voting, shoppers needs to drop a blue coin into the dispensaries at any of one of twelve Tesco stores taking part in the Southwark.
InSpire is already guaranteed to win £8,000 for making the shortlist, but second prize will claim £10,000, and the biggest prize will go to the charity with the most votes.
Voting began on Monday, with the cut-off point on November 13.
Raj Miah, a senior youth worker for InSpire, told the News: “We feel very fortunate to have been shortlisted, but it took a lot work on presenting a bid, to set out exactly what we would do if we won the £12,000 or the £8,000 we are already going to receive.
“We work with a big multi-cultural group. The majority of people we work with are deprived young people who we want to keep out of trouble. Some of them are having trouble in school or facing being excluded.
“At the youth centre it’s more about inspiring with art and drama, but we are also having amazing success getting some of troubled children into activities like cooking after school. Children who might not be getting a proper meal and come to us feeling hungry.”
The charity is also appealing for help to find a new venue for its 2InSpire youth club in Thurlow Street, which is earmarked for demolition as part of the Aylesbury Estate regeneration scheme.
A statement from InSpire has said it hopes to spend the prize money on:
- Run a series of community mosaic workshops, designing, making and installing a series of mosaic discs on the walls. Everyone will be able to contribute, regardless of skills/ability/experience.
- Build and plant up some beautiful raised beds for flowers and herbs.
- Make insect habitats that can be hung within the planting on the raised beds.
- Develop a small urban orchard of selected easy to care for fruit trees, chosen by local people and planted by young people from 2InSpire’s youth.