LOCAL charities supporting people with dementia, learning disabilities and multiple sclerosis are set to benefit from customers using the new John Lewis in Oxford.

Customers will be able to vote for their favourite cause using tokens when they leave the shop as part of the firms ‘community matters’ scheme.

The £3,000 donation will then be split between the three according to the votes.

Daybreak Oxford - a charity with day centres in the county providing dementia care - My Life, My Choice - supporting people with learning disabilities - and the Oxford branch of the Multiple Sclerosis Society have been selected.

Customers will be able to begin voting once the store opens with the new Westgate Centre on October 24.

Laura Bristow, fundraiser at Daybreak Oxford said: “Daybreak helps to provide treatment and support for people with dementia through person-centred care, providing social and therapeutic days for the people of Oxfordshire.

“We are delighted to be selected as one of the first Community Matters charities.

Pam Bebbington, chair of trustees at My Life, My Choice said: “We are really excited and delighted to be one of the very first charities supported by John Lewis Oxford’s Community Matters programme.

John Chipperfield, coordinator at Multiple Sclerosis Society (Oxford & District Group), said: “This is wonderful news. Our group is run entirely by volunteers and every penny raised through the green token vote will be spent on our members with multiple sclerosis.”