A Sidmouth-based charity, which runs a lunch club for the elderly and disabled, has been shortlisted to win up to £4,000.

Sidmouth Herald: Staff and volunteers at Sidmouth Voluntary Services. Taken in December 2017.Staff and volunteers at Sidmouth Voluntary Services. Taken in December 2017. (Image: Archant)

Tesco shoppers across the region have been asked to vote for one of three chosen causes as part of its Bags of Help initiative.

The supermarket giant has teamed up with national charity Groundwork to launch its community funding scheme, which could see grants of up to £4,000, £2,000 and £1,000 awarded to local causes, thanks to the money raised from carrier bag sales.

Sidmouth Voluntary Services is one of the three causes in the region which has been shortlisted to receive a cash award.

The charity runs a lunch club for the elderly and disabled in the Sid Valley, providing home-cooked, three-course lunches, five days a week.

As well as providing people with a nutritious meal, the cause aims to enable more people to get out of the house to enjoy other people’s company.

The elderly and disabled residents who receive help from Sidmouth Voluntary Services often have limited mobility ,so really benefit from the door-to-door accessible and the minibus transport which enables them to get to the meal.

Centre manager Claire McHugh said: “The service is a lifeline to many of our clients, improving their health and wellbeing and helping reduce loneliness and isolation.

“The grant money will support Sidmouth Voluntary Services’ aim of providing 5,000 subsidised cooked lunches to the elderly and disabled in 2018.

“We are delighted to have been chosen as one of the projects to be supported by the bags of help scheme, and would really value the votes of our local community.”

Voting is open until the end of February. Customers will be able to cast their vote using a token given to them at the checkout in store each time they shop.

Alec Brown, Tesco’s head of community, said: “We are absolutely delighted to open the voting for January and February.

“There are some fantastic projects on the shortlists and we can’t wait to see these come to life in hundreds of communities.”