TEAM members at the Wilkinson store in Fleet Street are offering a helping hand to community groups and charities in the area who need extra support in 2014.

Whether the project benefits young people, families or the elderly, Wilkinson’s is appealing to anyone who is passionate about their local community to get involved and apply for a donation from the store’s Helping Hands budget.

People living in Swindon and nearby can apply to the store for a monetary donation, Wilkinson’s products or team members’ time, as they are also keen to support neighbourhood developments.

Tommie Maddox, store manager, said: “The Helping Hands scheme is all about supporting local projects and directly benefiting the lives of people who live and work close to our store.

“As a company, it’s great to be able to help groups and charities by giving something back to the area. Our team members are ready to roll their sleeves up and give their time to worthy causes, plus we have a wide variety of products which we can donate.

"We’d like to hear from anyone who’s keen to make a difference in Swindon, whether it’s a school that needs arts and crafts supplies or a dogs’ home that needs extra food and treats, we want to help.”

Helping Hands application forms can be collected from the store and once completed, forms should be returned to the store’s help desk.