Marlborough Brandt Group has received a welcome donation of more than £600 from the Budgen’s Communities Giveaway project.

The store handed over a cheque for £610 to the Marlborough-based charity which has links with Gunjur in the Gambia.

The group is largely run by volunteers which means that for every pound raised for the charity 90p goes directly to work with its partners in Gunjur.

This includes projects like Women’s Livelihoods which provides women with technical and business skills.

Since the project started in 1996 more than 120 women have acquired skills in tie-dye, baking, bee keeping, fruit and vegetable preservation.

Nick Maurice, director of the Marlborough Brandt Group, said: “Unemployment particularly among young men is a major problem in the Gambia and in Gunjur.

“We will be working with young business entrepreneurs who want to take advantage of these new resources and this money will go directly into a fund for that purpose.”