Howards Group has raised £60,000 for charity in the first year of formalising its Howards Family Charitable Partnerships Programme.

The group pledged to donate a minimum of £5 for every vehicle purchased which it said marked a significant step forward in its ongoing mission to enhance the health and wellbeing of individuals across its communities.

The dealer group has supported education projects, community projects, support for older people and their carers, family welfare, youth work, schools and hospice care as part of its partnerships programme.

Jonathan Coleman, Howards group property and executive director, said: "Throughout our 51  years as a family owned business, we have always been invested in supporting our communities, however creating a programme and simple process for initiatives to apply or our employees to nominate charities close to them has really enabled us to maximise our  impact this year.

“We are very proud that we are able to make a difference.”

Howards finished the year with its Shining Starts campaign with a combined donation of £15,000 to support selected causes such as the Salvation Army in Yeovil and  Weston, the Taunton Food Bank, Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance, and the Somerset &  Dorset Animal Rescue.