A CHARITY is appealing for supporters to buy a belated Christmas present for local communities.

The County Durham Foundation has come up with its own gift shop, allowing individuals and companies to buy gifts ranging from a £10 football kit for a village team to a deposit on a flat for a homeless person.

The gifts are split into four categories - children and young people, education and learning, isolated people and strong and healthy communities - with prices ranging from £5 to more than £500.

Foundation chief executive Gillian Stacey said: "We knew that many people wanted to help their local community at Christmas and the gift shop allows people to do just that, with a specific gift being chosen by the sender.

"It's a great alternative to the usual presents we buy year upon year, putting a smile on someone's face and helping the local community."

Other unusual gifts include dry stone wall training for the unemployed or a day out for a disabled person.

One group to benefit is Wingate and Station Town Family Centre, which has bought equipment, computers and arts and crafts materials with help from the foundation.

Alison Nutter, head of the centre, said: "The funding we've had has been enormously useful to the centre - we've been able to try new ideas initiated by people in the community more flexibly and quickly, simply because of the way the grants are administered."

Since its launch in 1995, the foundation has helped 3,400 groups and 1,450 individuals in County Durham and Darlington.