THE Sainsbury’s store in Haltwhistle has raised £800 for the Chin Up charity over the past year.

The store, which supports a different cause every year, enjoyed a fruitful partnership with Chin Up during 2016/17.

The Haltwhistle-based charity works to enable children and teenagers suffering from progressive or terminal illness to enjoy family breaks or access respite care.

Staff and customers took part in a range of fund-raising activities, which included a disco and a sponsored swim.

Store manager David Hodgson said: “We’ve really enjoyed working with Chin Up over the past 12 months.

“Our customers and colleagues worked really hard to help raise vital funds for the charity and we’re really proud with everything we’ve achieved.”

The money raised will be used renovate the gardens at Chin Up’s holiday cottage and to make them more accessible to wheelchair users.

The charity’s Lynn Dixon said: “We’d like to thank the Sainsbury’s customers and colleagues in Haltwhistle for their support over the past year.

“It has made such a difference to the charity and we’re extremely grateful for the donations and awareness we’ve been able to raise.”

At the end of June, customers were given the opportunity to vote for the charity’s new charity partner for 2017/18.

Haltwhistle’s youth initiative, Young and Sweet, was chosen as the new beneficiary after customers voted both in store, and online.

The first fund-raising event for Young and Sweet will be a coffee morning on Thursday, July 27, at the Methodist Church Hall, on Westgate, in Haltwhistle.