TWO Somerset charities have won a £1,000 Christmas gift thanks to nominations from the public.

The charities were nominated to win a share of £120,000 as part of specialist insurer Ecclesiastical's annual 12 days of giving Christmas campaign.

St Margaret's Somerset Hospice based in Taunton, which helps patients, families and carers across Somerset facing a life-limiting illness, and Langport Church Community Trust, which provides social and welfare activities for the whole community, are set to benefit from the money following overwhelming public support in the area.

4,997 Somerset residents nominated a cause close to their hearts, with 38 charitable causes in the area receiving votes.

The 120 winning charities across the UK were picked at random from those nominated.

Mark Hews, Group CEO at Ecclesiastical, said: “Owned by a charity, here at Ecclesiastical our core purpose is to contribute to the greater good of society, so charitable giving is at the heart of our business.

"We know that £1,000 can make a huge difference to the incredible work that charities do, and we’re looking forward to seeing how this financial boost will change lives for the better.

"We hope these donations can bring a positive end to a difficult year and a promising start to 2021." The full list of the 120 charity winners is available to view online at www.movementforgood.com/12days