RETAILER Wilkinson wants to hear from groups and charities interested in receiving a helping hand with a community project.

The Nottinghamshire retailer, which already has 186 stores across the UK, aims to open a new home and garden store in April in the Chilterns Shopping Centre at the former C &A store, creating 80 jobs.

Wilkinson has joined forces with the Bucks Free Press and supplier sponsor Henkel to give away £2,000 worth of products for community makeover projects as part of its commitment to the local community.

New store manager Simon Shankster said: "We would love to hear from any local community group or initiative needing help with a project or an event, no matter how small or large.

"Wilkinson stores are at the heart of the communities they serve and our helping hand initiative is just part of our commitment to High Wycombe.

"We are a family-owned business and see ourselves as a community-based store and our helping hands initiative very much reflects that fact."

Mr Shankster said that many of Wilkinson's stores had raised a great deal for charity over the year with projects such as supplying bulbs and plants for a "bloom" campaign, providing paint for local Scout and community groups and supporting business initiatives to revitalise town centres.

Dennis Oliver, newspaper sales manager at the BFP, said: "We welcome this new retailer to our town and the Bucks Free Press is pleased to be involved with the worthwhile project to help the community."

Wilkinson was founded in 1930 by J K Wilkinson who opened the first store on Charnwood Street in Leicester.

By 1997, when Mr Wilkinson died, the firm had more than 100 stores, all in town centres, selling more than 25,000 product lines.

The new store in the Chilterns Shopping Centre is part of Wilkinson's plans to expand into the south and south-west from its heartlands in the north and the Midlands.

Wilkinson recently opened a second £60 million distribution centre at Magor, near Newport, to spearhead this expansion.

Groups and/or charities interested in applying for help with a project should initially write to Judy Warschauer, Helping Hand Project, Bucks Free Press, Gomm Road, High Wycombe, Bucks HP13 7DW, giving details of their proposed projects.

The closing date for applications is February 16.