TWO Bury charities have scooped nearly £10,000 between them in the latest round of National Lottery grants.

The Bury Metropolitan Deaf Society has been awarded £5,000 and The Sandcastle Trust (Bury Metro) £4,300.

The Sandcastle Trust is a newly-formed group set up to provide a short holiday for single parent families in the borough who are experiencing hardship. The programme was previously run by the Women's Royal Voluntary Service.

The money will cover start-up costs for the group. It will be spent on stationery and a printer, transport for the holiday and assistance with basic food costs and essential clothing items. The deaf society provides advice, information, social activities and training for people with hearing impairments living in the Bury area. The grant will fund two gas fires and fireguards, blinds, a cooker, a microwave, a fridge freezer and floor covering.

In this round of grants under the National Lottery Charities Board England Small Grants Scheme, 25 Lancashire groups received awards totalling £87,076.

Commenting on the grants, National Lottery Charities Board North West regional manager Mr Andy Freeney said: "We are very pleased to see so many small community-based groups being successful in their applications to this scheme." Awards made in this round are the last under the Small Grants programme which has been replaced by the Millennium Festival Awards for All scheme. This will also concentrate on funding small-scale activities, helping small groups at the heart of the community to participate in arts, sports, heritage and charitable activities contributing to the nationwide Millennium Festival.

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