MONEY from Shildon Football Club's FA Cup run has helped to give the town's community groups some new transport.

The club is one of the sponsors of a £37,000 community minibus, which was presented on Thursday.

The Shildon team were given £7,000 by the Football Association to donate to charity, after their appearance in the First Round of this season's FA Cup competition.

Other contributors to the minibus appeal include Help the Aged and the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund, as well as about 30 affiliated community groups.

Shildon has had community transport since it was given a second-hand bus 12 years ago.

For the next six months, the new bus, an Iveco Iris, will run alongside its predecessor, an LDV.

Flo McCall, acting secretary for the management committee which runs the transport project, said: "We have 25 to 30 community groups and organisations who rely on the bus for transport. For some people, who are housebound or elderly, it is their only means of getting out socially.