Retailers looking to give their community activities a boost are being invited to apply for funds from the NCS Community Fund, one of the many business-building initiatives to be found at this year’s National Convenience Show.

Retailers can apply for matched funding in cash from as little as £100 to a maximum of £1,000 to help support programmes, events or initiatives led by retailers to engage with their local communities. For successful applicants, the Fund will wholly or partly match the investment made by retailers on a pound-for-pound basis.

To apply, retailers need to register their interest at www.nationalconvenienceshow.co.uk/fund and then hand in completed forms at the National Convenience Show, running at the NEC Birmingham on April 14-16. A panel of retailers and industry experts, including Convenience Store, will assess the potential funding awards.

Last year independent retailer Rav Garcha was awarded £750 to help fund a community cooking event for Independents’ Day on July 4, while Guy Warner and Sunder Sandher received £525 and £600 respectively towards Jubilee celebrations.