A Blackburn martial arts academy has received a donation of £1,000 as part of a Trust’s mission to support charities in the local community.

Masters of Martial Arts in Blackburn is one of the 18 charities in Lancashire that has received a donation.

The grant is part of the Benefact Group’s Movement for Good Awards which is the fourth year the group is giving away £1 million.

Members of the public were invited to nominate causes close to their hearts, with another 250 awards of £1,000 available now for donation.

Masters of Martial Arts Academy teaches children life skills on their journey to achieving Black Belt in Ju Jitsu.

The academy, which has been run by Sensei Phil Turner since 1997, were recognised as a non profit Community Amateur Sport Club in 2018 for their work supporting children.

Families and Babies (FAB), Preston Domestic Violence Services and The Blackpool Fylde and Wyre Society for the Blind are also some of the local charities set to benefit from the money, following overwhelming public support in the county.

More than 5,500 kind-hearted residents have voted for charities across the county so far.

In total, more than 202,000 people around the UK supported the Movement for Good awards, with over 3,900 charitable causes up and down the country receiving votes.

The 250 winning charities were picked at random from those nominated, following 250 previous winners being selected in June.

Thanking supporters in Lancashire, Mark Hews, Group Chief Executive of Benefact Group, said: “We would like to thank every single person who took the time to nominate a good cause as part of our Movement for Good Awards.

“Benefact Group is the fourth largest corporate donor in the UK and has an ambition to be the biggest. Owned by a charity, all of its available profits go to good causes, and the more the group grows, the more the group can give.

“As a company whose purpose is to contribute to the greater good of society, charitable giving is at the heart of what we do.

“We know that £1,000 can make a huge difference to the incredible work that charities do and we’re looking forward to seeing how this financial boost will change lives for the better.”

A further 120 £1,000 grants will be given away in December and £500,000 will also be given in larger grants later this year.