The Heart of England Co-operative Society’s caring Helping Hearts scheme has donated £1,000 to the Coventry and Warwickshire branch of the Motor Neurone Disease Association, the only national organisation in England and Wales dedicated to the support of patients with the condition and those who care for them.

The Association was one of six charities and causes chosen by Society members in a recent survey to receive a share of £10,000.

With the largest number of votes the Alzheimer’s Society was awarded £5,000. The remaining share of the cash was equally distributed between the Motor Neurone Disease Association and the four next popular charities – the Breast Cancer Unit at the George Eliot Hospital in Nuneaton, RNIB, Diabetes UK and MIND.

Nerys Watton, Association Visitor at the Motor Neurone Disease Association Coventry and Warwickshire said: “At the Motor Neurone Disease Association we rely heavily on contributions and every penny we receive here at this branch will be spent specifically on people with Motor Neurone disease and their friends and family in Coventry and Warwickshire.

“The contributions can be put towards a range of things to help patients – anything from a stair chair to a holiday away to give them some respite.

“We are extremely grateful to the Heart of England Co-operative Society for their generous donation. This £1,000 will go a long way to helping people with Motor Neurone disease, their family and carers.”

The charity survey was conducted through the 2009 Members’ Calendar amongst the 70,000 registered members of the Heart of England Society throughout Coventry, Warwickshire and south Leicestershire, who were then invited to vote for six charities to receive a slice of the cash.

The Society pledged the cash from its Helping Hearts Awards scheme, which uses the profits of tobacco sales to distribute among charities, worthy causes and community projects.

The Calendar also contained vouchers worth hundreds of pounds of savings in the Society’s Food, Non-Food and Travel stores, including 10 per cent off one food shopping visit above £5 each month, alongside attractive local scenes.

Membership of the Society is open to anyone aged 16 or above living in the Society’s trading area, with application forms available from all of the Society’s Food and Non-Food stores across the region.

Ali Kurji, Chief Executive , Heart of England Co-operative Society commented:  “Ongoing research is vital if a cure is to be found for  Motor Neurone disease and funding is therefore vital.  We are delighted to be able to offer our support.”

Since its launch in 2000 the Helping Hearts scheme has pledged £486,000 to charities and worthwhile causes throughout the Society’s trading region.