A POPULAR community group is to benefit from a year’s worth of fundraising and publicity thanks to a supermarket.

Woodhouse Close Church Community Centre, in Bishop Auckland, has been selected by Sainsbury’s to become its local charity partner for the next 12 months.

The St Helen Auckland store has raised thousands of pounds for a number of charities, including Butterwick Hospice and The Chyrelle Addams Cancer Trust, since the project began in 2009.

Woodhouse Close Church Community Centre will be using the initiative to fund existing and new projects and those behind the charity hope it highlight the work done to help people in the area.

Jean Clarke, of the charity, said: “We were absolutely delighted when we heard. These days it is hard to get funds so this will really help us.

“It is the first time we have applied to be a partner so we got very lucky. We really like the idea of the community connection.”

Christine Jeffrey, store manager at Sainsbury’s, St Helen Auckland, said: “We’ve had a great response from our customers and we’re delighted to have chosen a charity which many of our customers and colleagues can associate with.

“We will now be working closely with the charity to ensure they really benefit from the local charity partnership.”