The Atwell-Wilson Motor Museum in Calne is one of a host of community groups in Wiltshire getting a funding boost in the Co-op 's latest round of grants from its Local Community Fund.

Across the county 44 causes will benefit . Last year, 40 groups in Wiltshire shared £141,656.

Other beneficiaries in the north Wiltshire are Calne Community Day Centre, Chippenham Rugby Football Club, Chippenham Sea Cadets, the 3rd Chippenham Scout Group, the 1st Corsham Guides, Corsham Churches Food Bank, Sea Squad Explorer Scout Section (Corsham), Lyneham Scout and Guide H.Q. Committee, Lyneham Village Hall and Lyneham Primary School - which wants to install an all-weather sports pitch so children and the wider community can play sport all year round.

Alan Hall, a volunteer at the Atwell-Wilson Motor Museum, said this would be the first grant they had received from the Co-op.

They want to provide specifically child-friendly facilities and attractions to encourage more children to visit the museum.

"We are delighted to receive the money," he said. "It's the make the museum a bit more friendly for younger children, so they can come along and find something to interest them.

"It would be great if we could get schools to come along, and we want to encourage young people to visit.

"We want exhibits which will be more pertinent to young people and a bit more interactive."

Members of the Co-op receive a five per cent reward for themselves with a further one per cent going to local causes when they buy the supermarket's own-brand products.

Members can decide how the money is allocated, and are encouraged to select the causes they wish to support online.

Recent figures from the Charity Commission show that 40 per cent of all charities survive on an income of less than £10,000, meaning that the funding raised by Co-op members will have a significant impact on the difference causes can make in their community.

Rebecca Birkbeck, Director of Community Engagement at the Co-op, said: “The more people shop, the more we share, and the more impact we can have in communities. People can get involved by becoming a member, swiping their card, and choosing the cause they want to support. By choosing their local cause, our members are telling us what really matters in their communities. Last year we invested £19 million in over 4,000 groups UK-wide, supporting a wide range of initiatives from village halls and community spaces to skills initiatives and neighbourhood watch schemes."