An East Lancashire community charity has won a £250,000 lottery grant.

The money will go to the Scaitcliffe Community Centre Ltd (Accrington) to pay for a new five-year Advice, Guidance and Employment Support Service starting in the New Year.

The grants of £250,399 comes from The National Lottery Community Fund.

The group, based at Hannah Street in Accrington, will use the money to provide support to the local community in one of the most deprived areas of the town.

Scaitcliffe Community Centre Ltd, has been running since 2003 and is staffed by 12 volunteers and two paid staff.

Lancashire Telegraph: The community centre in AccringtonThe community centre in Accrington

It was founded by Hyndburn Council Labour group leader and Spring Hill ward's Cllr Munsif Dad and its current chair Mohammed Yaseen.

They realized that the local community was in need of support and advice in accessing information, guidance in applying for benefits, also support in employability skills to gain a better chance of gaining work.

The group now has an advice, guidance and employment support manager who will be available to provide help and assistance to residents in benefits related support including Universal Credit claims and assistance and signpost people to other service providers.

The service will be available from January 2, Monday to Thursday, from 8.30am to 4.30pm, with a 30 minute lunch break from 12.30pm.

Lancashire Telegraph: Cllr Munsif Dad welcomed the cashCllr Munsif Dad welcomed the cash

In 2015 the centre received received a similar grant of £337,768 from the Big Lottery Fund for its Central and Spring Hill Neighbourhood Management programme.

The new funding will see service provision expanded from part-time workers to a full-time advice, guidance and employment manager available four days a week for the public and one day a week to help the research and funding applications for the Scaitcliffe Community Centre.

Cllr Dad said: “We’re delighted that The National Lottery Community Fund has recognized our work in this way.

"Now, thanks to National Lottery players we will be able to continue providing essential advice, information and guidance to the local community in the one of the most deprived areas in the Hyndburn.

"This is also important because it will help and support the sustainability of Scaitcliffe Community Centre which provides wide range of free services to local residents."

Mr Yaseen said: “We are absolutely delighted.

"The local community will continue to benefit from accessing much needed service provision."

The National Lottery Community Fund recently launched its new strategy, ‘It starts with community’, to underpin its efforts to distribute at least £4 billion of National Lottery funding by 2030.