A SCHOOL in Lympsham was thrilled this week after it bagged an £8,000 grant.

Lympsham C of E Academy received the grant from Tesco as part of its 'Bags of Help' funding initiative.

A spokesman from Lympsham C of E Academy said: “Lympsham is delighted to have been chosen as one of the lucky winners in this competition and this will now enable us to complete our Rhyne Project and create more outdoor space for the children”

The supermarket giant teamed up with charity, Groundwork to launch its 'Bags of Help' initiative which sees grants of £5,000, £2,000 and £1,000, all raised from the 5p bag levy go to schools and organisations across the UK.

The school received the funds after being voted for by customers in stores across Somerset and will use the money to create more outdoor spaces for children.

Lindsey Crompton, head of community at Tesco said: “Bags of Help has been a fantastic success.

“We been overwhelmed by the response of our customers and it’s been great to give people a say on how the money will be spent in their community.

"We can’t wait to see the projects come to life.”

Since launching in 2015, Bags of Help has awarded more than £25 million to more than 3,000 local projects across the UK.

Tesco customers get the chance to vote for three different groups each month.

At the end of each month, when votes are collected, three groups in each of Tesco’s regions are awarded funding.

Graham Duxbury, chief executive of Groundwork said: “It’s just the beginning for Bags of Help and we’re really excited about the future.

"The scheme will be permanently open for applications, and as grants can now be used for not just the development of, but also for the use of local outdoor spaces, we expect even more groups will now have the chance to benefit.

“It’s projects like these that really help to capture the public’s imagination by illustrating what can be achieved when communities are given the support and the encouragement they need to create better places where they live.”

For more information about the 'Bags of Help' scheme visit tesco.com/bagsofhelp