CHARITIES that enhance and often save the lives of people in Cornwall are flying high after receiving £50,000 to continue their amazing work.

The supermarket chain Tesco is marking its centenary year with two special Bags of Help funding rounds, with a huge £100,000 funding pot in Cornwall.

The first of these special rounds concentrated on groups delivering health and wellbeing benefits. In first place, Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust has been awarded £25,000. In second place, Cancer Research UK has been awarded £15,000. In third place, Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) has been awarded £10,000.

Cath Collier, trusts and grants fundraising officer for Cornwall Air Ambulance, said: “We are delighted with the support of Tesco Bags of Help, and would like to extend our gratitude to Tesco, their staff and all the customers who have supported Cornwall Air Ambulance by voting over the last few months.

“The funding will support the medical fit out of a new air ambulance helicopter, helping to transform emergency medical care across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly for many years to come. As a result, our critical care paramedics will fly more missions, saving many more lives of residents and visitors.

“Bags of Help, run in partnership with the charity Groundwork, sees funding awarded to thousands of local community projects every year. So far in Cornwall, Bags of Help has awarded more than £1,500,000 to nearly 500 local projects.”

Sophie Barber, Cornwall spokesperson for Cancer Research UK, said the grant will fund professional facilitators to provide free, locally tailored support to GPs and healthcare professionals.

She added: “The education of GPs and their teams on the early diagnosis and prevention of cancer is the motivation behind this programme. With the help of our facilitators, GPs are given more confidence to recognise and act on suspicious symptoms.

“Without this essential programme, more people in Cornwall will lose their lives to this horrible disease. Cancer doesn’t discriminate. It doesn’t care what age you are, where you are from or what you do for a living. Cancer affects everyone.

“With your support and these funds, the Cancer Research UK facilitators can help to drive cancer prevention in Cornwall and make sure that more people with cancer are diagnosed as early as possible, when treatment is more likely to be successful and they have a better chance of survival.”

CRY helps to raise awareness of young sudden cardiac death, including sudden arrhythmic death syndrome.

Dr Steven Cox, chief executive of CRY, said: “We are so honoured to have been part of this incredible community-based initiative, the Tesco Bags of Help Centenary Grant.

“Many CRY supporters and families affected by young sudden cardiac death have really got behind this campaign too, spending their spare time in various Tesco stores, talking to shoppers about the work and services that CRY funds to help prevent these tragedies. So this initiative has been a wonderful opportunity to raise awareness as well as funds.”

Keith Jackson, Tesco’s Bags of Help manager, added: “Congratulations to the recipients of our first Centenary Grant voting round. They are all worthy winners and we hope these awards help them continue their important work in our communities.

“In 2019, we are celebrating a century of delivering great value for our customers. And what better way to celebrate this occasion than by using our flagship community grant scheme, Bags of Help to support even more groups and organisations who are helping to make a difference across Britain.”

Another voting round is under way in stores now, with even more projects sharing in the cash. Customers are invited to vote for the project they wish to receive the top prize using blue tokens handed out at checkouts.

The funding will reach more than 30 regions, with £3,300,000 up for grabs in total.

Find out more about Bags of Help at www.tesco.com/bagsofhelp