Stratford Food Bank, NetworkFour and Cheltenham Open Door have each been given a £5,000 boost thanks to donations made to them by the Lodders Charitable Foundation (LCF).

Since it was created in 2016, the LCF has donated £75,000 to local independent charities.

Each has been chosen for its dedication in supporting local communities where Lodders Solicitors LLP has offices, namely in Stratford upon Avon, Henley in Arden, Birmingham and Cheltenham, as well as for epitomising the LCF's central aim to raise essential financial support for local charities where it can make a genuine difference.

Already this year, LCF has supported Stratford's Orchestra of the Swan with a £5,000 donation towards the production costs of its album 'Labyrinth' - which is due for release on the November 12 - and The Guide Dogs charity with a £580 donation from the funds raised at its annual Charity Dog Walk in Henley in Arden.

David Lodder, chairman of Lodders Charitable Foundation and partner at Lodders Solicitors LLP, said: "It has been an incredibly difficult year for those charities that rely on donations for their existence.

"At the same time as donations have dipped, there has been a growing demand for their services, and we are delighted to be able to provide financial aid to these fantastic local charities and the projects they run, particularly in these difficult times.

"We are also delighted that the easing of restrictions has enabled us to return to hosting and running our much-loved fundraising events that were greatly missed last year."

Stratford Food Bank aims to prevent or relieve poverty in and around Stratford-upon-Avon by providing emergency food supplies to those in need. With the charity having to find alternative premises for its Christmas Hamper project this year - which delivers Christmas hampers to those for whom the festive period may be difficult - the donation from the LCF will help fund the rent required to pay for the new space.

Network Four is a small growing charity that since it began in 2008, has supported and engaged over 6,500 young people, adults and families in crisis thanks to a dedicated team and volunteers who strive to help transform their circumstances and give hope for the future.

Originally founded in 1992 as Open Door at Christmas, Cheltenham Open Door is committed to providing support to the town's most vulnerable, disadvantaged, and lonely people, but receives no central funding and relies entirely on donations to run.

Founded in 1995, Orchestra of the Swan (OOTS) is an English professional chamber orchestra based in Stratford upon Avon. It is passionate about promoting new music and runs a program of work in care homes, schools and rural areas around the West Midlands.