A group producing a video to help people cope with major surgery has been given a £1,000 grant.

A community dividend grant from Oxford, Swindon and Gloucester Co-op has been awarded to Swindon Ileostomy Association to cover production costs for a new video.

The video will deal with questions that arise when a patient is told that it is necessary to remove part or all of their large intestine due to inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn's Disease or cancer.

The intestine is replaced by a bag which is attached outside the body.

The video will give advice and support to the patients who live in and around Swindon. It is also planned to offer the video to other Ileostomy Association groups on a national basis.

Many of those involved in the video production ex-BBC staff, actors, video editors and representatives from the patient care industry are giving their time voluntarily.

But there are some costs that will be covered by the Co-op grant, including a fee for music and the duplication costs of producing 200 copies.

Dr Michael Hellier, the gastroenterology physician at Swindon's Great Western Hospital, is president of the Swindon Ileostomy Associa- tion and is backing the project.