A LOTTERY grant of just over a quarter of a million pounds has been given to Wigan and Leigh Council to fund an ambitious Voluntary Service for asylum seekers and refugees.

The £250,286 grant will fund mentors and provide valuable services to recruit, train and support asylum seekers and refugees living in the area.

Funding will be phased over three years. It will finance a full-time administrator and a project manager, and cover general running costs including buying office equipment, paying rent and travel expenses.

The Service will be the first in its kind within the area and is set to be geared towards providing humanitarian and emotional support to refugees who have fled from scenes of deprivation and areas of violence.