The final touches are being made to the newly extended Waitrose in Alderley Edge, which will open for trade at 7.00am on Thursday 12 June.

When the branch re-opens, it will be double its Community Matters contributions from £6,000 per year, to £12,000, and also increase the amount of Partner Volunteering hours to local projects and causes from 100 to 250 hours per month.

The new store on The Parade will be unveiled by representatives from the first local causes chosen to benefit from the Community Matters scheme - Alderley Edge Primary School, the Wilmslow Animal Sanctuary, and the Alderley Edge Royal Voluntary Service. They will all join opening branch manager Gareth Hind and his new team in welcoming the branch's first customers.

Janet Colter from the Wilmslow Animal Santuary said:  'We are so excited to be part of the Waitrose Community Matters scheme at Alderley Edge. We are a self-funding organisation and the money we will receive will make such a huge difference. We have so many animals and pets that come to us with terrible injuries, stress and trauma, and with the money we will receive, these animals can be given a much better start to their lives.'

At the end of the month, £1,000 will be divided between the three groups according to the number of tokens received from customers. Customers can continue to nominate different charities each month, resulting in a total of £12,000 donated each year, double the amount previously contributed by the branch.

The extended branch will provide local residents in Alderley Edge with the latest Waitrose offer, including a bakery service counter and hundreds of new everyday essential items. Dry cleaning and a flower wrapping service will also be available, there will be a wine department and a selection of local produce, including a selection Robert's sliced breads - based 10 miles away from the branch.

Waitrose Alderley Edge will be run by a team of over 100 Partners in total, including the former Waitrose and Co-op employees, and 45 new members of staff.

Waitrose Alderley Edge received an overwhelming response to its recruitment drive, receiving over 200 applications for the 45 new roles. They have all become Partners in the John Lewis Partnership and will be entitled to benefits including a say in how the business is run, leisure and learning subsidies and an annual bonus. This year every employee received the equivalent of eight weeks wages in bonus, so a significant proportion of profits will remain within the local community.

Gareth Hind, opening branch manager at Waitrose Alderley Edge added:

'Waitrose has already forged strong links with the local community in Alderley Edge and with the extension of the existing branch, we will be able to contribute even more to local groups and charities.

'The new and improved branch will provide our customers with more choice and has enabled us to create a further 45 jobs. We have a great team in place and 95% of our Partners live within ten miles of the branch.'

'We apologise for the short term inconvenience to the town while works took place, however the scheme represents a huge investment into the local area and we hope that the enhanced offer will attract even more people to the town.'