A SCHEME supporting local good causes at a Dorchester supermarket had reached a milestone figure.

Waitrose Dorchester has now donated a total of £100,000 to worthy causes in the local area through its Community Matters scheme.

The scheme was launched in 2008 and sees the store donated £1,000 every months to three local community groups, charities or organisations with customers voting using green tokens to determines the share each charity receives.

The Dorchester store is one of more than 190 branches nationwide to reach the £100,000 milestone, with the supermarket as a whole having now contributed £28million to support 84,000 causes through the scheme.

As well as the green token scheme in store, online customers choose between three national charities, to which Waitrose donates a further £100,000 a year.

This year marks the fifth anniversary of online, which means a further £500,000 has been donated so far to 60 national charities.

Local causes supported by the scheme range from homelessness charities, wildlife charities, hospices, schools, to local theatre groups or regeneration projects.

Over the years Waitrose Dorchester has supported local causes such as Weldmar Hospice Trust and Autism Wessex and last month it chose the Volunteer Centre Dorset, The Lantern Trust and Soul Food to benefit from the scheme as they are all providing Christmas meals for the vulnerable.

December’s participants Alabare Homes for Veterans, Weymouth Food Bank and Street Homeless Outreach Team also support the homeless and disadvantaged in the community.

Peter Brown, branch manager at Waitrose Dorchester, said: "The green token might seem like a small gesture for our customers but they’ve helped us give £100,000 to hundreds of fantastic causes in the local area.

"The Community Matters scheme is a great way for us to get involved with the community, supporting causes which are important to both our employees and our customers and we’re really pleased to have reached this milestone figure."

Tina Varns, manager for sustainability and responsible sourcing, said: ?"Community Matters has been a great success and a brilliant way for our branches to engage with their customers and the wider community to help support local smaller charities.

"In total, the scheme has donated £28 million profit to 84,000 causes which is an amazing achievement.

"I'd like to thank our customers for taking part and for continuing to nominate local good causes that are close to their heart."