A PRESTON support centre, which helps disadvantaged young people, has been handed a lottery cash boost of almost £250,000.

The Foxton Centre, in Knowsley Street, is one of three organisations in Preston and South Ribble to receive funding -- given over three years -- in the latest round of National Lottery Community Fund grants.

The £247,896 funding will be spent on a series of outreach programmes working with marginalised, vulnerable and socially excluded young people who live, work or socialise in and around Preston.

It will help pay for two new Streetlink workers, two street project workers, a new youth project manager and partly fund an existing, part-time administrator.

As well as recruitment costs the money will also fund running expenses, volunteer expenses, office equipment and project resources.

Director of The Foxton Centre, Tim Keithley, said: "We are delighted for a chance to fulfil our hopes. This is something we have been hoping for for more than three years now."

Another group to benefit is the Chorley and South Ribble ME Support Group, which receives £41,710 for a new part-time co-ordinator, to help train staff and for general running costs and new equipment. The other award was made to Preston's Lancashire Advocacy Development and Support Service which is one of five of the group's offices across Lancashire to receive a share of £175,953 to help encourage mental health service users and their carers to become directly involved in the input of the service planning.

The money will help fund two staff salaries and go toward running costs.