THANKS to customers of the Co-op two local causes shared a pot of £12, 265.

The Co-op customers who use the Dalbeath, Lochgelly Bank Street and Lochore Co-operative stores, raised the grand total through the 1% levy scheme which sees 100th of each shop go to local charities.

The charities nominated were the Kids Come First childcare charity, run at Benarty Centre, and the Sunny Harbour Cat and Kitten Rescue Centre, based in Lochgelly.

Said Kirsty Commings, the manager of the Dalbeath store: "We raise money through our membership cards to be able to give 1% back on all Co-op branded goods that are bought to our local causes.

"Both Kids Come First and Sunny Harbour are very popular causes and have proved excellent beneficiaries from our scheme."

The Kids Come First childcare operation is based at Benarty Centre and children from Benarty and beyond are looked after while their parents are working.

Meanwhile the Sunny Harbour Rescue Centre looks after a whole host of cats and kittens and seeks to re-home them.

They have a charity shop in Bank Street, Lochgelly, which helps raised money for the the cause.

This latest boost comes only a few weeks after Sunny Harbour won the title Scotland's Animal Charity of the Year, which was presented at a big dinner in Glasgow.

Run by Paul and Sarah Ross, the rescue centre is given warm backing by the public of the Lochgelly area and beyond.

Kids Come First look after up to 30 youngsters a day at their Benarty Centre base and during the school holidays organise a whole host of visits to the likes of Dynamic Earth, in Edinburgh, and Cluny Clays, outside Cardenden, and having this sort of backing provided by the Co-op helps make these possible.