Community projects are celebrating new funding that will help support education, wellbeing, and life skills for young people.
Tesco stores across the Isle of Wight have awarded £3,000 in grants to three charities through the retailer’s Stronger Starts scheme, which is delivered in partnership with the environmental charity Groundwork.
Sight for Wight received £1,500 to support its programme for children, designed to promote eye health and prevent avoidable sight loss.
Lisa Hollyhead, chief executive of Sight for Wight, said: "We’re very grateful to Tesco for this essential funding.
"Age-related loss comes to one in three people and accounts for more than 50 per cent of sight loss on the Island.
"However, it can be slowed down or even prevented by protecting young eyes, especially under the age of 14, from UVA and UVB rays from the sun.
"While research is new into this area, we firmly believe putting things in place to save future generations can only be a very positive thing."
The Sight for Wight programme has already been piloted in local schools and has received positive feedback from all participants.
The South Wight Area Youth Partnership was also awarded £1,000 to develop a mentoring scheme for Year 6 pupils in partnership with Brighstone CE Primary School and Niton Primary School.
The scheme focuses on supporting students’ mental, emotional, and general wellbeing.
UKSA received a £500 grant to go towards giving every Year 6 student on the Isle of Wight a free day on the water.
The programme aims to build water confidence, teach safety, and develop key life skills.
Claire De Silva, head of community at Tesco, said: "We’re delighted that we can help groups and clubs such as Sight for Wight.
"Stronger Starts invites our customers to use their blue tokens to vote for local schemes they feel will benefit children and young people, and it’s so good to see the impact that the funding makes."
Shoppers can support similar projects by placing Tesco blue tokens into the voting boxes at the checkout.
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