EMPLOYEES at Dorset Cereals are backing plans for a visitor centre at Durlston Castle in Purbeck.

They are donating thousands of mini-packs of cereals to be sold in shops and joining in fundraising events to back the Durlston Project.

The packs will be sold at the park's Lookout café and visitor centre to raise funds.

Patrick Horton, from Dorset Cereals, said: "The Durlston Project plays a key part in the continued conservation of the Jurassic Coast and we are delighted to be working with the team.

"Over the coming months we will be supporting Durlston's fundraising appeal by donating mini-packs, attending fundraising and community events and by organising beach promotions."

Durlston Country Park is noted for its wildlife and is managed by Dorset Countryside, assisted by Friends of Durlston. Dorset Cereals will be featuring the project and its fundraising events on its website, encouraging visitors to the site to attend events.

The company will also drum up support through email newsletters and a beach promotion, which will involve more than 100 independent retailers.

Mr Horton said: "We are teaming up with distributors to provide 100 independent retailers with beach kits to create imaginative beach displays in their shops. Each kit will include a deckchair, bucket and spade and information material for customers which introduces the Durlston Appeal and talks about how we can help to support the project.

"We hope that this will raise awareness of the issues facing the British coastline and in turn increase support for projects like Durlston."

Staff from Dorset Cereals recently attended the Great Dorset Beach Clean, which is organised by the Dorset Coast Forum.

More than 750 volunteers took part in the beach clean, including team members and their families from Dorset Cereals who collected bags of rubbish from the beach at Chesil Cove.