THE East Lancashire Deaf Society is celebrating winning £160,000 lottery cash to help deaf youngsters and their families.

The cash will be used to extend the 'Bridging the Gap' project, begun three years ago, enabling the scheme to help twice as many children over the next three years.

Society fundraiser Cassie Northam, said 20 families were already involved in the project, which helps hearing parents learn to communicate better with their deaf and hard-of-hearing children through sign-language, lip-reading and other methods.

She said: "We are overjoyed to receive this money, which will ensure that the families of deaf children have a better understanding of their deaf children, and communicate with them more. "Our project is unique in Britain and we hope it will gain a national reputation as an example of how deaf children can gain equal opportunities in everyday life."

Two part-time outreach workers will be hired to visit East Lancashire families, explain about education and job opportunities for deaf youngsters and help prevent them becoming isolated.

A centre for deaf children and their families will also be set up in the King's Court building, Blackburn, where the group is based.

Cassie said: "We will use the space for support groups for parents, mother and toddler groups or whatever the families themselves want."

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