Visitors to Sandbach United's football stadium are in for a special treat after the club received a bumper pay out from the Co-op Local Community Fund.

Sandbach United Football Club in Hind Heath Road has received £4,855.21 from the latest round of payouts to Co-op local causes.

And the payout doesn't stop there – for the booming club is also one of the three local causes selected for Co-op support next year too.

Now the club is planning to extend its popular CrossBar outside covered area further – to cater for the growing number of people attending. 

Oliver Bryon, Head of Football & Operations at Sandbach United, said he was delighted.

"It's fantastic to be involved with the local community and we're absolutely delighted to be a local cause for next year too.

"We work with the Co-op closely and so many of our members and parents shop at the Co-op.

"We're extending the patio area and covering and we'll be using the money to do this so we have cover for all weathers."

The outside area at Sandbach United which is going to be extended

Oliver was there for the official presentation of the money to the club at an event with the Mayor of Sandbach, Councillor Kathryn Flavell and Sandbach Co-op Member Pioneer, Arnie Laing at the Lawton Way Co-op.

For every £1 Co-op members spend on selected Co-op products and services, 2p goes back to members and Co-op gives the same to support community organisations and local causes. You can find out more and become a Co-op Member here.

The money has been raised locally by Co-op members shopping at one of the four Co-ops in Sandbach – Middlewich Road, Lawton Way, The Hill and Saxon Cross petrol station.

With many community causes experiencing funding challenges and a surge in demand, Co-op funds are supporting projects which deliver vital services in their communities around access to food, mental wellbeing support and opportunities for young people.

Also at the Co-op Local Community Fund event were the other two Sandbach Co-op local causes for the current year – Elworth Cricket Club and Lions Youth Band.

Charlotte Birch, chair of Lions Youth Band, which provides music opportunities for children aged six – 18, said: "This couldn't have come at a better time.

Members of the Lions Youth Band at the event

"With Covid, we haven't been able to fundraise so this will help support the band."

Mike Price, chair of Elworth Cricket Club, said the club was delighted to be a current Co-op cause.

"This is a wonderful boost. We've launched a Spacehive bid for our plans and we're so grateful to be nominated for this money."

Elworth Cricket Club at the local causes event

The latest round of Co-op's Local Community Fund payouts has supported 4,500 community projects, with causes highlighting that the funding and support is providing a critical life-line for communities during these challenging times:

Sandbach Co-op Pioneer, Arnie Laing, at the event at Lawton Way

Co-op Members across the UK have raised £117m, helping 7m people across the UK since 2016.