A NEW pregnancy advice centre connected with a nationwide network of similar projects has opened in Nelson.

The Mayor of Pendle, Councillor Frank Clifford, officially unveiled the Lighthouse Pregnancy Crisis Centre at the Living Waters Christian centre on Saturday.

The centre is part of an outreach project launched by the church and aimed at women throughout Pendle.

It will open between 6.30pm and 7.30pm on Mondays and noon until 1pm on Fridays, although organisers said the hours could increase depending upon demand.

The centre will be manned by three trained counsellors and two receptionists. One of the counsellors, Lynette Watson, said: "It is open to women in their hour of need. We are aiming to counsel and support them and look at the options that are open to them."

Fellow counsellor Joan Littlewood, added: "We're not going to be pressurising the women who come here. They will come here to trust us to give them help and advice and we will discuss the options open to them.

"Then it will be up to them to make their own decision and we will help them in that decision. It's their decision at the end of the day."

The centre will also offer pregnancy tests and counselling to women who have suffered miscarriages or gone through with abortions.

The Lighthouse centre is affiliated with the national Care for Life organisation, which involves about 100 church-based advice centres offering advice and information on all kinds of family-based matters.

The Lighthouse centre's telephone number is 01282 693333.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.