THREE Craven groups are celebrating lottery funding totalling nearly £500,000.

Craven Domestic Violence Forum has attracted £197,996 to establish a help line and set up advice and support for women experiencing domestic violence.

The money will also pay for office equipment, one part time development worker and one part time outreach and support worker, rent and general running expenses.

Forum chairman Barbara Cox said: "We are trying to get some more resources in Craven, particularly in the less accessible areas of the Dales."

The forum is a voluntary body made up of members of statutory agencies such as the police.

Also benefiting from the lottery windfall is Craven Alzheimer's Society which will receive £162,667 over three years.

The charity provides information and training for people caring for relatives with Alzheimer's Disease. The support is acutely needed by those living in more isolated rural areas.

The money will be used to fund salaries, rent, running costs, information materials, training and consultancy costs.

Kath Beer, from the charity, said: "We have had a branch in Craven for four to five years now, and all the awareness raising in Skipton has been done by volunteers.

"This money gives us the chance to move forward and we can now appoint a professional branch worker, admin support and in the next two years a befriending organiser to help build relationships with those who care for people with dementia."

And Bentham Development Trust has received Lottery funding to enable it to keep going for another three years.

The trust has been awarded £122,170 for core funding to pay for the running of the trust office, staff salaries including a new 16 hours a week job, rent and other costs involved.

Bill Kennedy, of the trust, said: "This will enable the trust to continue its activities in helping other organisations to obtain funding and to obtain funding ourselves for projects, and to work in conjunction with the Market Towns Initiative."

The trust is hoping to produce a new Bentham guide next year and is involved in the community transport initiative as well as Local Agenda 21. It is also working with the Victoria Institute at Low Bentham towards its refurbishment and is hoping to work on some form of enhancement at the approach to the cemetery in High Bentham.

Mr Kennedy added: "Now we have new funding we will be looking at all the ways in which we can help the community from an economic, environmental and social point of view."