Melior Street Garden to share in Tesco carrier bag windfall

Tesco has allocated £30,000 to community projects in and around Southwark in the second round of its Bags of Help scheme, funded by the proceeds of the mandatory 5p charge for plastic carrier bags introduced in England last autumn.

The amount each project receives will depend on where it is ranked in a public vote against two others: £12,000 will be granted for first place, £10,000 for second and £8,000 for third.

Customers in Southwark stores will receive a token at the checkout and be asked to place it in the box of the project they favour the most.

The three contenders are:
• Melior Street Garden, SE1
• CGP Community Allotment in Southwark Park, SE16
• Somerville Kitchen Garden, Lee SE12

The funding will allow Team London Bridge and Putting Down Roots – a horticultural training initiative of homelessness charity St Mungo’s – to increase the area of green space, rejuvenate the existing planting in the flower beds, installan automatic irrigation system to reduce water consumption, refurbish the seating and applying a new, more resilient surface treatment.

Voting continues until Sunday 6 March in the stores listed below.

Participating Tesco stores in Southwark

• Tesco Extra – Surrey Quays
• Tesco Superstore – Old Kent Road
• Tesco Metro – Tooley Street
• Tesco Metro – Elephant & Castle Shopping Centre
• Tesco Metro – Jamaica Road
• Tesco Express – Tower Bridge Road
• Tesco Express – The Cut
• Tesco Express – Borough Road
• Tesco Express – Great Suffolk Street
• Tesco Express – New Kent Road
• Tesco Express – Long Lane
• Tesco Express – Camberwell New Road
• Tesco Express – Peckham
• Tesco Express – East Dulwich
• Tesco Express – Queen's Road Peckham
• Tesco Express – Southwark Park Road
• Tesco Express – Walworth Road
• Tesco Express – Camberwell