Deserving organisations across Bradford district were celebrating today after scooping more than a million pounds of lottery cash.

The cash bonanza - totalling £1.3 million - has given a much-needed boost to 14 groups in the area.

The biggest award was handed out to West Yorkshire Black Governors Support Service which is hoping to establish an office in the region.

Spokesman Tony Stanley said the group was delighted to have been awarded £442,827 which will be used to recruit black and Asian school governors. He said the group is now looking to find a base to continue its work. The cash boost will fund five salaries, refurbishment and subsidise an annual conference.

Royds Community Association was another big winner with £313,715. The one-year grant will be used to build a new community centre which will provide support to voluntary groups and develop training and volunteering opportunities.

The centre will be based in the heart of the community on Fenwick Drive. Chair of Royds Community Association Peter Eccles said the centre would be a building residents could be proud of.

He said: "I am pleased that after years of hard work and consultation a new centre for residents and local organisations has finally paid off." Spokesman Raj Panesar said: "The biggest thanks go to the Woodside residents and Woodside steering group who have worked towards this bid for the past three years."

Work on the centre is set to begin in August. It should be completed by May 2000.

Celebrations have also begun at Keighley Women's Centre and Edwards Rainbow Centre in Holme Wood.

Edward's Rainbow Centre in Dane Hill Drive, which provides subsidised day care for 44 children aged under five whose parents live or work in the BD4 postcode area, has been awarded more than a quarter of a million pounds to be paid over three years.

Workers at the centre were worried they would have to cut back their child and baby care services if their bid had been unsuccessful.

Nursing officer Linda Wood said: "We would have been in dire straits if the lottery hadn't come through for us. We're a charity and we have no cash reserves so we were overjoyed by the news."

The £259,000 grant will extend the centre's baby care provision, travel costs and pay the wages of new nursery nurses, a cook and a cleaner.

Keighley Women's Centre which helps women suffering from domestic distress and trauma has been saved from closure after it received £154,000.

Last week the Telegraph & Argus revealed how the centre faced closure, unless it secured the cash injection from the board. The cash secures the future of the organisation for the next three years.

The Rev Paul Hackwood was more than delighted with £215,000 given to Thornbury Community Centre. The centre is set to open its doors within the next two months. The cash will be used over the next three years to fund five staff, including a development manager and two caretakers.

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