DONATING small change can make a big difference – that’s the message to people who visit a Basingstoke shopping centre.

Festival Place has just installed a specially-branded collection box in the award-winning centre as part of its support for Basingstoke-based Ark Cancer Centre Charity.

It is hoped that shoppers and other visitors will put small change, and perhaps even large notes, into the box to help swell the coffers of the charity, which is raising £5 million towards a cancer treatment centre at North Waltham.

The idea for the box came from Hampshire Chamber of Commerce president Andrew Finney, during a discussion about ways to raise funds for the charity, and the Festival Place team took this on board and arranged for it to be installed.

It was fitting that Andrew and Steven Connolly, centre director of Festival Place, were on hand to launch the box, which is located next to the customer information point near Porchester Square, by putting the first coins in.

Mark Jones, director of fundraising and communications for Ark Cancer Centre Charity, said: “The charity is grateful to Andrew for coming up with this simple but effective idea as it will help to raise awareness of the charity and the cancer treatment centre as well as some welcome funds – every penny really does count.

“Thank you to everyone who makes a donation – small change really can make a big difference.”