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Nisa launches tenth round of Heart of the Community Awards offering winter support

Nisa launches tenth round of Heart of the Community Awards offering winter support

Nisa’s Making a Difference Locally (MADL) charity has launched its tenth round of the Heart of the Community Awards, offering crucial support to local causes during the challenging winter months.

Through this initiative, Nisa retailers can apply for up to £1,000 in funding for each of 50 selected causes, helping communities across the UK stay warm, safe, and supported as colder weather sets in.


The Heart of the Community Awards have already donated over £1 million to good causes since their inception. This winter, the funding will focus on essential services, such as homeless shelters, soup kitchens, and warm hubs, providing vital relief to those most affected by the harsh winter conditions.

Nisa retailers have until 29 October to apply for this funding.

“We are incredibly proud of the continued success of the Heart of the Community Awards. As we look towards the end of the year, we’re focusing on helping those most vulnerable during the winter season,” Kate Carroll, Nisa’s head of charity, said.

“Local causes such as homeless shelters, soup kitchens, and warm hubs are essential lifelines for people struggling to make ends meet. By offering up to £1,000 to 50 different projects, we hope to provide real, meaningful support to those who need it the most.

“I encourage all Nisa retailers to get involved and apply for this funding, so together we can make a real difference this winter.”

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Indies: It’s criminal police and government turn blind eye to shoplifting

Independent retailers are demanding tougher police action, more bobbies on the beat and harsher punishments as shoplifting levels reach an all-time high, a new survey reveals.

A whopping ninety-one per cent of respondents to a survey conducted by the Federation of Independent Retailers (the Fed) called for more police patrols on streets, while a similar number - 90 per cent - said that shoplifters should be handed harsher sentences.

Seven out of 10 respondents (72 per cent) said their stores had experienced shoplifting, break ins and damage to property, while they and their staff had been physically or verbally threatened.

Just under half of respondents (47 per cent) said they and their employees had been threatened or had suffered abuse and violence when asking for proof of age ahead of selling an age-restricted product.

Forty-four per cent reported that they and their staff had faced abuse or violence because they had refused to make a proxy sale – selling an age restricted product to a customer buying for a minor.

The results of the Fed’s survey came as new figures from the Office of National Statistics revealed that shoplifting was at a record high, with almost half a million offences recorded last year.

According to the ONS, 469,788 offences were logged by forces in the year to June 2024 – a 29 per cent increase on the previous 12 months.

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“Inadequate responses from the police and a slap on the wrist for offenders means that shoplifting is soaring, and offenders are becoming more aggressive and brazen,” said Fed National President Mo Razzaq.

“From the responses we received, it is clear that real action is needed by police, by courts and by the government to stem the overwhelming tide of crime against retailers and their staff. Everyone deserves to feel safe at work and for their businesses to be protected against criminals.

“Fed members are also sending a clear message that one of the catalysts for verbal and physical abuse in stores is asking for proof of age before selling an age restricted product. If the government presses ahead with its plans to phase out smoking and vaping through a progressive ban to gradually end the sale of tobacco products across the country, independent retailers will be subject to even greater levels of violence, abuse and theft.”

Calling for action from the government and not just words, Mr Razzaq continued: “Without effective deterrent, criminals and opportunistic members of the public will continue to commit crimes.”

According to Ministry of Justice statistics, during the year to March 2024, 431 fines were handed out for retail theft under £100, while Home Office statistics for the same period show that 2,252 cautions were accepted for shoplifting.

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