Help community projects while you shop

The first three causes to benefit from the programme are Holy Trinity School, in Sedding Street, Belgravia; Voluntary Reading Help, a solely voluntary organisation which provides reading help for children; Lifeboats.

Shoppers at the checkout will each be handed a green token which they can place into one of three labelled boxes at the store exit, allowing them to learn about and vote for the cause they would like to support.

The more nominations a cause gets, the greater the share of the donation they will receive.

Shoppers can also join Waitrose Belgravia in supporting community projects by nominating causes that are important to them by simply filling in a 'Waitrose Community Matters' leaflet at the Welcome Desk in store.

All types of causes such as senior citizen homes, local schools and youth projects are poised to benefit from the scheme.

Mike Verwoert, Branch Manager of Waitrose Belgravia, said: "'Community Matters' is a fantastic initiative that will make a huge difference to a lot of people in the area.

"We're passionate about our community and as a team are very proud to be working on such a worthwhile scheme.

"We look forward to seeing lots of nominations from our customers in the coming months."