FOR the first time the Dolphin Shopping Centre has chosen two charities to support and help raise much needed funds.

Margaret Green Animal Rescue and children’s hospice Julia’s House will receive funds and support throughout 2015 from organised charity events at the Poole centre.

The animal charity Margaret Green Animal Rescue is celebrating its 50th anniversary and Julia’s House, which needs to raise millions every year, have already formed part of the shopping centre’s fundraising efforts.

Food donations have been collected for the rescue charity and the annual Christmas grotto raised £3,845 for Julia’s House.

“We are over the moon with the support we have had from the team at the Dolphin Shopping Centre, both for their extraordinary offer of support throughout 2015 and now their brilliant food collection,” said Kate Cross, fundraising manager for Margaret Green.

“This is an immensely important year for the charity which sees us celebrate 50 years of animal rescue, and we thank the Dolphin Centre in recognising this.”

Lin Hudswell, community fundraising manager for Julia’s House said: “We are tremendously grateful to the Dolphin Shopping Centre for their support, which began last year with a donation raised from their Christmas grotto. We need to raise £4.6million this year to carry out our vital care service and with only seven per cent coming from government funding that’s quite a challenge. So the Dolphin Centre’s assistance with this is really important to us and very much appreciated.”

Centre manager John Grinnell said: “This year I was overwhelmed by the desire of our team to support not one but two charities that hold a special place in the hearts of our community.

“We thoroughly felt that each of the charities needed our help; as it is obvious that 2015 is going to be a very special year for both.”