CHRISTMAS has come early for good causes in Knutsford after the Co-op revealed a £100,000 festive funding boost.

The money will be shared by 19 organisations, all of which are making a difference to communities throughout the region.

These include The Abbeyfield Knutsford Society, 2nd Knutsford Scout HQ and Friends of the Moor.

This is the latest round of pay outs from the fund generated by over 125,000 Co-op members in Cheshire, and means overall the Co-op has invested more than £200,000 in 62 groups in Knutsford since the membership scheme launched in September 2016.

Co-op members, who receive a five per cent reward for themselves with a further one per cent going to local causes when they buy own-brand products, have a say in how the money is allocated, and are encouraged to select the organisations they wish to support online.

Rebecca Birkbeck, Director of Community Engagement at the Co-op, said: “Since the launch of the local community fund our members have helped 12,000 organisations to make a positive difference in their neighbourhoods, and in the last 12 months alone we have invested £19 million in local causes.

“The fund is now supporting a wide variety of local organisations, from village halls and support groups to education providers and neighbourhood watch schemes, all of which are helping to make Knutsford a better, happier, and healthier place to live.”

The Co-op has 4.65 million active members, including 1.8 million recruited since the new scheme began on September 21, 2016, and more than one million have already chosen which local group they want to support.