THREE Bury charities have scooped major cash awards from the Lloyds TSB Foundations, one of the country's largest grant-making trusts.

The Rachel House Trust and the Anchor Trust have each received £10,000 and Citizens Advice Bureaux in the district £9,000.

The money has been awarded in the first round of 1999 grants from the foundations and is part of more than £510,000 which has been shared among nearly 90 good causes region-wide.

At the Anchor Trust, based at the Seedfield Centre, the grant will enable a technical officer and a case worker to step up from part-time to full-time employment.

Project manager Mr Jon Hayes said: "The two staff members are both employed in our Home from Hospital project which aims to fast-track elderly or disabled people who are private landlord tenants or homeowners out of hospital, preventing bed-blocking and cutting waiting lists.

"The project also advises them on how to create a safer environment in the home and puts them in touch with reliable contractors. This helps to reduce the likelihood of follow-up hospital treatment." And the £10,000 awarded to the Rachel House Trust, based at Mossfield Close, will cover the salary of a resettlement worker for a year.

Rachel House management committee chairman Mrs Julia de Sousa said: "We look after young people aged between 16 and 21 who have no home to go to. We give them a secure environment for a maximum of two years and aim to get them back on their feet with advice on jobs and training and on claiming benefit.

"Eventually each young person moves to their own flat in the community. We are all about the promotion of independent living."

The CAB cash will fund a volunteer recruitment campaign.

Mr David Kay, Lloyds TSB Foundations North West co-ordinator, said: "This practical support will help voluntary groups to continue delivering the services that so many disadvantaged or vulnerable people in the community depend on.

"It's these kind of grassroots organisations which play such a valuable role in helping to support all sectors of society."

The Lloyds TSB Foundations receive one per cent of the financial service group's pre-tax profits instead of the dividend on their share holding.

They support local registered charities working to promote education and training or helping to meet social and community needs.

In 1999, the Lloyds TSB Foundations have received a massive £25,600,000 to distribute throughout the UK with £2,136,900 in grants going to North West organisations.

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