A WINCHESTER charity is celebrating after they received a rather special token of appreciation.

Homeless hostel West View House has received a cheque for £1,380 from Waitrose as part of the supermarket's token scheme.

Project Worker Molly Edwards was in store on February 8 to collect the cheque, having entered West View for the scheme in September last year.

She said: “Everyone at the hostel would like to thank Waitrose and their customers for their generosity. We have been overjoyed and surprised by the amount. It will really benefit all the residents. The residents will decide what they want to do with it.”

Every month the supermarket on Stockbridge Road donates £1,000 between three good causes as chosen by customers via the Winchester Community Matters Scheme.

At the checkout, customers get a green token which they can deposit in the box of the cause they want to support .

Simon Aldridge has lived at the hostel for four months and was on hand to help pick up the donation.

He said: “I had nothing before I came here, it's been somewhere stable to live, cook and eat your food. It's done a lot to help me get back on track. It's made a massive difference. We are all really happy about the cheque. We want to use the money to start a small business and go on some day trips together. Once you get people out there enjoying life, putting a bit more into life, they will get more out of it.”

Residents of West View are no strangers to fundraising themselves - they raised nearly £1,000 for Winchester Basics Banks in the run-up to Christmas.