Two community groups have received over £1,000 each as a result of customers shopping at Falmouth's Co-op store and nominating them to get a share of the cash.

The Co-op has relaunched its membership club which sees customers get five per cent cash back onto their card on any Co-op product bought, with an additional one per cent added to a community pot which goes to good causes chosen locally.

In Falmouth, two charities were chosen by customers to be recipients of the almost £3,000 raised between October and April - Falmouth Age Concern and Falmouth Surf Lifesaving Club.

Peter Maxted, manager of Falmouth Age Concern, visited the store at Boslowick last week to collect a cheque for £1,443. The money will go towards the cost of the charity's one-to-one befriending service, which sees volunteers spend precious time with lonely or isolated elderly people, and a new reminiscence project which aims to capture people's life stories and eventually produce a book and CD.

Falmouth Surf Lifesaving Club, which is based at Maenporth Beach and is celebrating its 40th anniversary of volunteer service, has been given £1,359.

The next three organisations who are in the running to receive a pay-out from the Co-op's community fund have now been chosen: Mawnan School PTA, Cats Protection and Falmouth Surf Lifesaving Club (a group can re-apply more than once). It is now up to shoppers to boost the fund through their custom over the next six months and then ultimately decide how much each group receives.

"Each time the next round of funding opens, we advertise it in store and charities can apply through our website," said store manager, James Semmens. "Any community group can apply and for the next round our members will decide."