A PROJECT helping people with learning difficulties in Bury has hit a Lottery jackpot of more than £200,000.

Bury Gateway Club, based at the Mosses Community Centre in Cecil Street, has been thrown a lifeline to the tune of £215,000.

It will be used to develop the work of its Self Advocacy Project, which has been funded by the National Lottery's Community Fund for the past three years.

The cash will benefit more than 80 people with learning difficulties in the area, linking them into the support scheme.

Project co-ordinator, Margaret Barker, says the grant, to be spent over the next three years, is a lifeline to the group. She said: "This money means that we can continue the work that we are doing within the project. It frightens me to think that we may have had to close down and turn our backs on the people who need us.

"The people that we work with know that they can come into the office at any time, and it would be so sad if that had to end."

The money is to be used to employ a member of staff to oversee the setting up and development of a drop-in centre at Gateway, where people can pop in for a chat and use the centre as a base to meet representatives from different agencies.

The scheme also hopes to recruit more volunteers to help those who access the service, gain self esteem, confidence and move on.

Mrs Barker, who was instrumental in setting up the club 21 years ago, was surprised when the letter arrived confirming that the group were to receive money.

She said: "t has certainly lifted a bit of pressure. We support those who access the project to look to the future and gain skills such as budgeting money or organising trips, to help them become more independent."