A regional publisher is set to let its readers decide how it distributes a six-figure charity cash giveaway.

Newsquest has announced the launch of its ‘Cash for Charities’ drive, which will inform how it donates £125,000 to good causes across the country.

The awards are made annually through the Gannett Foundation, Newsquest’s owner’s charitable arm, and the total pool will be split across the publisher’s seven regions.

Readers will be invited to nominate their favourite charities for cash grants and an editorial panel will select the most deserving from all nominations received.

Readers will be invited to collect voting tokens published in the newspapers to back their choice, with more tokens being collected for the respective charities meaning a bigger share of cash awarded.

Newsquest’s chief executive Henry Faure Walker, pictured, said: “Readers understand the causes that matter in their local community and they are best placed to make the choice.

“Everyone at Newsquest is delighted to be giving our readers the opportunity to influence how this year’s Gannett Foundation giving will be spent.”