ACTRESS Julie Hesmondhalgh has given a care home's fund-raising project a star-studded boost.

Coronation Street's Hayley became the patron of Rough Lee Home for the Physically Disabled, Accrington, after meeting volunteers and residents.

The care home for disabled young adults is on the site of the old Rough Lee maternity unit, where Julie was born.

The star, whose parents still live in Church, will be appearing at the home at Easter to sign autographs and to launch a fund-raising drive that hopes to muster £50,000 for a new learning centre for its young adults. The centre will be housed in a two-storey cottage on the Rough Lee Road grounds and will have a sensory experience room, computer suite and gym equipment for the young adults.

Manager Sheila Baines has run the home since April last year, after being promoted from deputy manager.

She said they had already set up a business plan and were in the process of looking at available grants and contacting 50 Hyndburn businesses to ask each one for £1,000.

The home is run by the charity the Alex Trust that operates from the Rough Lee home in Accrington. She said: "We wrote to Julie in December and she came here a week later, then we met her again in January on the Coronation Street set.

"We are all delighted with her being our patron and helping us push the fund-raising development further. We're all big fans here, the staff and the residents. So when she invited us on the set we were all really excited. We saw some of the other stars."

She added that the project would not only help its residents learn and keep them mobile but would help others in the wider community.

"If we get the cottage operational, it will enable us to open links into the community. There are disabled people living in their own homes who would benefit from the centre."

Rough Lee provides separate accommodation for 14 residents who are given support in their own homes. Many of the residents are studying for college courses. The fund-raising programme is being co-ordinated by Sheila's daughter-in-law Mary and the committee Near and Far. People who feel they can help the group should visit www.near.far.roughlee@ntlworld.com or telephone 01254 393152.