A Hertfordshire estate agency chain is raising £10,000 for charity – and it needs your help to decide which local causes should receive the cash.

Ashtons, which has offices in St Albans, Harpenden, Redbourn and Welwyn Garden City, is raising the money by placing charity boards outside people’s homes and donating £50 towards the £10,000 target in return.

The firm has put together a shortlist of charities and is asking the community to vote for their favourite cause.

An online poll displaying real-time results - open to the public from Monday 22 January until Friday 9 February - will determine which charities will receive a proportion of the £10,000 raised.

Ashtons will distribute half of the total to the most popular cause, 30 per cent to the charity that receives the second highest number of votes and 20 per cent to the one that places third.

To consider your options and place your vote, visit www.lifesgreatcauses.co.uk.