Making A Difference Locally is a charity established by the retailer Nisa. Nisa is a £1.45 billion turnover company which exists to provide benefits to approximately 1,300 independent grocery retailers, operating almost 3,500 stores. The local stores are referred to in this item as “Nisa partners”.
Making A Difference Locally raises funds in Nisa partner stores from sales of all Co-op and Heritage own-label products, a percentage of which goes into a virtual fund for retailers to donate. Additional funds can also be raised via in-store collecting tins, coin spinners and clothing banks. Stores are then able to donate these funds to a local charity or good cause of their choice within a 10-mile radius. You can draw a 10-mile radius of any given postcode using the Free Map Tools website.
To find out if a Nisa partner is retailing in your area, please use the postcode checker on the Make A Difference Locally website (scroll down to the foot of the page).
Nisa’s Making a Difference Locally (MADL) charity has launched a 5th round of the Heart of the Community Awards to help communities celebrate and commemorate the coronation of the King and the Queen Consort on Saturday 6th May 2023.
There will be two funding opportunities to apply for as part of the awards, with 100 donations of up to £500 available for each. Nisa partners (i.e. local shop retailers) can nominate a local group, charity or good cause to receive a grant for an activity to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee, such as:
o An afternoon tea.
o A garden party, or
o A street party.
Donations could be used towards such things as (please note that this is not an exclusive list):
o Entertainment.
o Food and drink,
o Venue hire or decorations, and
o Legacy celebration events such as tree planting, buddy benches, memorial gardens or school mementos.
Local groups, charities and good causes should approach their nearest Nisa store to enquire about making a nomination.
Nisa retailers can also put forward a local group or good cause to receive up to £500 in funding to support local volunteers so that volunteering can be undertaken as part of the Big Help Out on Monday 8th May.
Nominations will be accepted from Nisa retailers via a dedicated website until Tuesday 14th March 2023 and winners will be announced during April 2023.
Further information is available on the Making A Difference website, while a NISA store locator can be found at this LINK.
Incidentally, the National Lottery Community Fund's small grants programme, Awards for All, has also widened its remit in order that it can fund events and activities to commemorate the coronation of King Charles III. Awards for All provides grants of between £300 and £10,000 with no matched funding requirement.
