TESCO customers are being encouraged to make a token gesture to help a pre-school, the elderly and people with chronic illnesses.

Always Active, Little Eagles Pre-School and Chronic Illness Support for All are the new Bags of Help projects being supported by Tesco Extra at Handforth Dean.

Bags of Help supports local charities and community schemes from the sale of plastic bags.

Customers vote for their favourite scheme by placing a blue token, given out at the checkout, into the box of the charity which they would like to see receive the donation.

The charity with the most votes will receive up to £4,000, second place will receive up to £2,000 and third place will receive up to £1,000.

Always Active is a local group which provides a service to lonely elderly people.

It meets three days a week, and older people with dementia and other conditions come along for company, activities, entertainment and home-cooked meals.

With the Bags of Help money the group is hoping to give the people it helps a special Christmas by taking them to the panto and a restaurant for Christmas lunch, as well as providing a Christmas hamper and gift.

Little Eagles Pre-School is attached to Nether Alderley Primary School and offers a pre School and after-school care.

The Bags of Help money would help provide an area to allow the younger children to play outdoor without fear of slipping or getting too muddy during wetter days.

Chronic Illness Support for All is dedicated to supporting adults and teenagers with chronic illnesses.

It takes into account the emotional as well as physical impacts of these conditions, and applied to Bags of Help to help it continue running the support group for chronically ill adults and their carers in Wilmslow and to continue sending out care packs.

Customers have been receiving a warm welcome from the new store manager Paul Fallon, who has taken over from Gary Ashton.

“Paul has worked at the store twice before in different roles over the 28 years he has worked for Tesco, and has wanted to return as the store manager ever since his promotion 10 years ago,” said Kaz Slater, the store’s Community Champion, who spearheads the store’s numerous charity and community events.

“We would like to wish Gary good luck at the Walkden store and Paul good luck here within Handforth Dean Extra.”