Several local charities, schools and organisations have had a great start to the new year thanks to the support of shoppers at Asda in Penryn and donations from the supermarket.

The last of the local Asda Green Token voting of 2017 was won by Tanya’s Courage Trust so the store's community life champion Lisa Kirkpatrick popped down to the charity's shop in Penryn and handed over a cheque for £500 from the Asda Foundation to manager Michelle Bray. The money will be used to help support teenage cancer victims locally.

Another well known local charity came a close second and popped into Asda to receive their £200 runner up cheque. Surfers Against Sewage are currently campaigning to raise awareness of the dangers of plastic in the seas and on the local beaches and they too were grateful to receive their donation.

The second runners-up, who also received £200, were the Friends of Ponsharden Cemetery, a group of volunteers who are working hard to restore the Jewish Cemetery and Dissenters’ (Congregationalists) Burying Ground.

Under a separate funding pot, two schools have been presented with Top Up Funding cheques after they both received help from Lisa at their Christmas Fairs. Mabe School was first to receive a cheque for £66, matching the proceeds from Lisa's help on their toy stall.

A day later Lisa popped into Halwin School at Porkellis and handed over a cheque of £236 to the Friends group, matching their tombola stall proceeds.

Donations of a different kind have also been given to two other good causes. The first was for the Royal Cornwall Hospital Charity who received toy medical sets to help child patients understand and learn more through play, about the different medical equipment they may see being used.

The second was for the local Youth Cafe group based in the Highway Centre in Penryn who had written and told Lisa all about the group and the games and events they provide for youngsters aged 11 and over. The group had planned an evening walk with the teenagers and Lisa went along to help and brought with her a box of snacks. Unfortunately the walk had to be postponed because of the weather, but the snacks were still a big hit.