Following an online and in-store customer vote, Sainsbury’s Midsomer Norton has announced that Cruse Bereavement Care Bath and Wiltshire’s Bath office, will be the store’s new Local Charity of the Year for 2016–2017.

Cruse Bereavement Care is the leading national charity for bereaved people in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. They offer face-to-face, telephone and website support, they have a Freephone national helpline and local services and a website: (www.hopeagain.org.uk) specifically for children and young people. Their services are provided by their network of 5,000 trained volunteers and are confidential and free.

Cruse also provides training and consultancy for external organisations and for those who may encounter bereaved people in the course of their work. Contact them on: 01761 417250.

This year’s Local Charity scheme began at the end of May, when colleagues shortlisted a maximum of three charities to be put forward to the customer vote. Cruse

Bereavement Care received the most votes and will receive a year’s worth of fundraising and awareness-raising from the store. Sandra Elmer, Chair Person from Cruse Bereavement, said: “We’d like to thankeveryone who voted for us.

Becoming Sainsbury’s Midsomer Norton’s Local Charity of the Year will make a huge difference to our charity. We are looking forward to the partnership and working closely with the colleagues at the Midsomer Norton store.”

Kim White, Store Manager at Sainsbury’s MidsomerNorton added: “I’d like to say congratulations to CruseBereavement Care. It’s great to be working with a new

charity this year. My colleagues are really excited about the partnership.”

The Local Charity scheme is now in its eighth year. The scheme has raised over

£11 million to support local charities since 2009.