GAY and lesbian advice services in East Lancashire will be expanded - thanks to a £97,333 National Lottery grant announced today.

Blackburn-based Lesbian and Gay Switchboard, which offers a range of services including a telephone helpline and befriending service, will use the award, paid over three years, to pay the salary of a full time support and development worker, office equipment and running costs.

Extra office space will be opened in Burnley and the telephone helpline will be expanded.

The group, which is also funded by the East Lancashire Health Authority and public finance, also aims to set up a counselling service to professional standards.

Group chairman Clive Thomasson said of the award: "This is wonderful news for the group and all our service users." The service was set up in Burnley in 1992 and moved to Blackburn centre last November.

It is run by full time support worker Maggie Turner and a team of about 16 volunteers, and also provides guidance on gay issues to statutory bodies and voluntary agencies.

The telephone helpline deals with between 30 - 50 inquiries a week.

The grant has been given by the National Lottery Charities Board under the Community Involvement banner. It is one of is one seven latest awards in Lancashire, together worth nearly £1 million.

Andy Freeney, National Lottery's North West Regional manger said: "We are pleased with the number of successful applications we have received from Lancashire.

"However, we would really like to see more applications from those areas that do not feature in our list of successful applications this time."

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