THE government are pouring money into a drugs education scheme backed by campaigning mum Niamh Astles-Noone.

The Life Education Trust in Lancashire will receive £60,000 - enough to pay for a mobile unit - from the government's £1.8m Drugs Challenge Fund. Niamh has supported the pioneering organisation since the death of her 16-year-old son Gareth from a methadone overdose. He had taken just enough to prove fatal to a naive user.

Citizen readers have also rallied to the cause since we highlighted Niamh's campaign.

She has been involved in promoting a number of events to help raise cash for the Life Education Trust, which aims to buy six mobile teaching units for use in local schools.

She said the latest cash aid had been a real boost to the trust.

"We can now afford two units and make them available sooner, rather than later.

"But it is just the tip of the iceberg and we still need four more. I will continue to work with the trust to achieve it.

"Whenever I think of my young nieces and nephews, I realise just how important this project is. They need to go out into the world armed with information, not ignorance."

The project was one of 82 in the country to receive a share the government's £1.8m.

The co-ordinators aim to use the units to deliver a preventative drug abuse programme to children, aged four to 11, by underlining the positive aspects of being alive.

The first mobile classroom will be in use at the end of October. Using the government money, a second will be in operation by March.

Tony Newton, chairman of the Ministerial Committee on Drug misuse who approved the scheme, said: "I am delighted with the response from drug action teams and businesses to the Drug Challenge Fund."

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