A community centre has received a £25,000 grant to transform its outdoor area.

The Asda Foundation has awarded the money to St Philip's Centre in Nelson as part of its Investing in Spaces and Places initiative.

The funding, which is part of a £1.2 million investment into 65 community projects across the UK, will be used to improve the centre's outdoor space.

This will include the installation of two 'homeless pods' and the creation of a community pantry.

The pods will serve as shelters for homeless individuals, providing immediate relief from the streets.

St Philip's Centre is a hub for many in the town, addressing issues of poverty, poor mental health, addiction, and lack of connection.

The centre offers support services, including a Christians Against Poverty debt drop-in, housing and homelessness support, a food bank, a clothes bank, a recovery group, and well-being groups.

They also plan to start 'healthy cooking on a budget' classes and a CAP Job Club.

Asda community champion Diane Springthorpe, from the Colne store, said: "I was so excited to tell the group they had been successful with the £25,000 grant.

"This funding is going to help them massively and enable them to give support to different members of the community, right from those finding themselves homeless to those who need support with basic food provision.

"I’m really looking forward to seeing all the work starting."

The Asda Foundation's £1.2 million investment follows findings from its community tracker, which revealed more than 20 per cent of customers were concerned about the lack of community spaces in their area.

Loneliness was ranked as one of the biggest challenges faced by communities by more than 38 per cent of people.

Karl Doyle, chair of the Asda Foundation, said: "Through our Investing in Spaces and Places grants, and the wider Asda Foundation programme, we want to continue playing our part in uniting communities and reducing loneliness by improving community spaces and bringing people together."