GENEROUS Plymouth shoppers have given £60,000 to good causes. The money will go to boost local community groups and charities.

The Co-operative's Community Fund is raised by member customers opting to donate all or part of their annual dividend to good causes.

The Co-op said that £60,000 of the total £420,000 raised across the South West region is available for distribution in the Plymouth area during the first half of the year.

The Co-op's local area committee allocates grants from £200 to £2,000 every two months, and is inviting applications from any group in the Plymouth area.

Last year 42 groups around the city got a cash boost from the Community Fund.

One to benefit was Gadzooks Theatre Company, which received £2,000 to hire an accessible venue for performance, and to print publicity materials for its shows.

Carol Taylor, from Gadzooks said: "The Community Fund grant made such a difference to us in 2011 as while we all have bags full of enthusiasm, it can be really hard to secure the money to put on quality performances.

"The shows in the fully accessible venue were fantastic, and having a boost to our publicity budget meant that we could reach new audiences."

Further funds will be available during the second half of the year when a further calculation of funds raised via dividend donations is carried out.