Free beginners’ skateboarding and BMX sessions in Letchworth are among the initiatives you can support as part of a supermarket grant scheme over the next two months.

Tesco has teamed up with community charity Groundwork for its Bags of Help funding scheme, which sees grants to local projects of £4,000, £2,000 and £1,000 – all raised from the 5p charge for plastic carrier bags.

Three groups in each Tesco region are shortlisted to receive the cash award, with shoppers voting for who they think should take away the top grant.

North Herts District Council is among the groups bidding to bag a big cash boost from the stores in Baldock, Letchworth and Stotfold.

Councillor Jane Gray, responsible for leisure at the district council, said: “We’re thrilled to have been shortlisted for the Tesco Bags of Help initiative, but now we need to get the votes in!

“I would like to urge everybody to take a moment to cast their vote and support Norton Common Skate Park.

“The facility has recently been revamped and it would be fantastic if we can access this funding, so we can give people the opportunity to try out skateboarding or BMX for free.”

The other schemes shoppers can vote for are Herts Fire and Rescue’s fire safety and advice sessions for older vulnerable people, and British Red Cross Hertfordshire’s emergency packs of food, clothes and more.

Voting is open until the end of August, with shoppers voting using tokens given to them at the check-out. The group that gets the most votes from shoppers will get a £4,000 grant, with £2,000 for second place and £1,000 for third.

Referring to the nationwide launch, Groundwork chief executive Graham Duxbury said: “We’ve been thrilled to see the diversity of projects that have applied for funding, ranging from outdoor classrooms, sports facilities, community gardens, play areas and everything in between.

“We’re looking forward to learning the results of the customer vote and then supporting each group to bring their project to life.”

Tesco community chief Lindsey Crompton added: “There are some fantastic projects on the shortlists and we can’t wait to see them come to life.”

Funding is available to community groups and charities looking to fund local projects that bring benefits to communities. Anyone can nominate a project and organisations can apply online. To find out more visit groundwork.org.uk/tesco