A Dorchester man has left a multi-million-pound windfall for a prominent local charity.

John Grant, who worked in Yeovil as a postman, left £2 million to the Yeovil, Sherborne and District Samaritans.

He appointed the cause as the sole beneficiary of his will back in 1995.

The money will be shared between the local branch and central operations of the charity to enable its vital work to continue.

Sarah Coote, branch director for Yeovil, Sherborne and District Samaritans, said: “The will didn’t explain why John Grant chose to leave his estate to us. Nonetheless, we are so grateful. Every 90 minutes, someone takes their life in the UK.

“We will ensure our share is used to help us increase and improve our services making them more accessible to those who need them.”

“Samaritans of Yeovil, Sherborne and District would not exist without our extraordinary team of dedicated volunteers. We already have 106 volunteers in Yeovil who not only answer over 2,000 calls, 200 emails and 150 text messages during an average month but also conduct outreach work at local hospitals, schools, colleges and prisons.

“This legacy will provide the much-needed funds to train even more volunteers to meet the increasing demand for our services.”

Mr Grant, who lived in Dorchester prior to his death but was born in Somerset, died on January 31, 2018 and his funeral was held on February 21 at St Peter and St Paul Church, Lufton, Yeovil.

Samaritans of Yeovil, Sherborne and District have been active in the community for over 50 years supporting those who have become overwhelmed for a variety of reasons with their work being entirely funded almost entirely by donations from the public and local businesses.

Nationally, more than 20,000 listening and support volunteers are contactable via the free-to-call helpline on 116123, or jo@samaritans.org .