FIRMS are being offered the chance to publicise the work they do for charity through the Free Press.

We are offering companies the use of our popular website as a vehicle for donations to charity, allowing them to gain credit for their kindness. Website users will be able to click on a special 'donate' button to activate a 20p donation to be made by the firm to its nominated charity. The person who clicks the button will pay nothing.

A page will then appear which thanks the user and displays an image link to the company's own website.

The scheme runs on the BFP website until the total number of 20p clicks reaches the firm's chosen target figure and it is then asked to pay the charity.

Editor Steve Cohen said: "Every year local businesses donate a tremendous amount of money to charity and never really get the credit they deserve for it.

"This way, their name is promoted on our website every time someone clicks the button and users are directed to their website too. They actually get a measurable level of publicity for their benevolence."

The Free Press is now seeking its first business sponsor for the project.

A database operates behind the scenes which prevents users clicking more than once a day and from which statistics can be sought to show how many people clicked per day and what percentage visited the firm's website.

Steve added: "Before, all we could offer them was a few lines in the paper or maybe a picture story but this way they can also have a tangible amount of promotion too."

To become our first business sponsor, call Audrey Wixon on (01494) 755094