Wilko's helping hands for charity

Team members at the Wilko store in the Guildhall Shopping Centre, Exeter, are offering a helping hand to community groups and charities in the area who need extra support in 2014.

Whether the project benefits young people, families or the elderly, Wilko is appealing to anyone who is passionate about their local community to get involved and apply for a donation from the store’s Helping Hands budget.

People living within Exeter and the surrounding area can apply to the store for a monetary donation or Wilko products to help them with worthwhile projects.

Ray Frame, Wilko store manager, said: “The Helping Hands scheme is all about supporting local projects and directly benefitting the lives of people who live and work close to our store.

“As a company, it’s great to be able to help local groups and charities by giving something back to the area.

“We’d like to hear from anyone who’s keen to make a difference in Exeter, whether it’s a school that needs arts and crafts supplies or a dogs’ home that needs extra food and treats, we want to help.”

Helping Hands application forms can be collected from the store and once completed, forms should be returned to the store’s help desk. Successful applicants will be notified within three months of submission.

A family owned firm after more than 80 years of trading, JK Wilkinson opened the first Wilko store on Charnwood Street, Leicester, in 1930.

The company’s portfolio has expanded significantly over the decades that have followed and there are currently 374 stores across the UK, including 10 in Scotland.

Serving 10.5 million customers each year and selling over 25,000 product lines, including health & beauty, cleaning products, seasonal essentials and homewares both in store and online at Wilko.com, Wilko is dedicated to providing its customers with high quality products, choice and first class, friendly service.

Wilko is committed to Britain’s high streets and prides itself on being a community focused retailer, actively supporting local charities, community groups and empowering its team members to support great causes that are locally important to them.