THREE community groups serving East Lancashire have scooped a lottery windfall of more than £600,000.

Cash from the Community Fund will benefit the Coldwell Inn Project, the Lancashire Disability Information Federation and the Fibromyalgia Support Group.

The Coldwell Inn Project, Southfield, Nelson, is an outdoor activity centre run with the help of young offenders on probation and community service from across the county.

It has been given £300,000 to pay for an extension and refurbishment to improve disabled access.

Lancashire Disability Information Federation, based in Leyland and serving Burnley, Pendle, Rossendale and other areas of East Lancashire, has been given £274,000 to so it can make information more readily available and improve its quality of service.

Lottery money will also help it to target newly disabled people, substance misusers with disabilities, families with young disabled people and people with disabilities from black and ethnic minority groups.

The grant, over three years, will fund a new full-time co-ordinator, two new part-time information officers, an existing part-time information officer and an existing administration assistant, as well as pay for running costs and office equipment.

The Fibromyalgia Support Group, based in Burnley, has been given almost £40,000. The cash will help fundraising and promote awareness of the condition, a widespread musculoskeletal pain and fatigue disorder affecting up to five per cent of the population.

Money will also pay for translating documents into Urdu and Bengali, so the charity can serve ethnic minority sufferers, as well as encouraging volunteers to help out.