Six charities across the Bradford district were today celebrating National Lottery awards totalling nearly £650,000.

The awards, by the National Lottery Charities Board to celebrate National Volunteers Week, target community programmes and work to help the poor and disadvantaged.

The biggest grant of £174,551 went to the Bradford City Centre Project to enhance services helping young homeless people.

Bradford Citizens' Advice Bureau was given £147,921 to create a new team of staff to respond to growing demand for its telephone helpline.

Bradford Council for Voluntary Service was awarded £111,295 for work to get young people involved in volunteer activities.

The Cancer Support Centre, in Duckworth Lane, was given £68,791 to develop its benefits and legal advice service for people with cancer.

Keighley Voluntary Services was given £97,118 to expand its furniture service.

And Relate in Keighley and Craven was handed £55,714 for a project to set up a new base in Keighley.

Kerr Kennedy, youth volunteering facilitator of Outcome, funded by Bradford CVS, said the cash safeguarded the initiative started two years ago to make more youngsters aware of volunteer work they could undertake in their communities. It would now be developed over the next three years, in particular reaching youngsters in schools and colleges.

The cash award to Keighley Voluntary Services will be used to expand its service picking up items of donated furniture and giving them to people in need. Now the venture will repair and refurbish damaged furniture, providing training for people on low incomes, volunteers and ex-offenders.

Clarinda Rusden, a trustee of Relate, said the charity was delighted. The cash - which it was hoped would be matched by Single Regeneration Budget funding - would be used to buy the group's base at Acres House in Berry Lane, Keighley.

It was also home to a number of other community groups and it was hoped to refurbish meeting rooms and facilities to help other organisations in the area.

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