AN EVESHAM charity supporting people in the area with mental health problems is celebrating after being handed a share of a £2.6 million pot of lottery funding.

Evesham and District Mental Health Support Services has been given a £249,074 grant by the Big Lottery Fund, meaning it can continue to run for the next five years.

The charity, based in Oat Street, offers services such as counselling and psychotherapy on a self-referral basis and works to help people with mental issues reach their ambitions as well as challenging discrimination.

Services coordinator Sally Padfield said she and her colleagues were "proud as punch" to have been handed the grant.

"We are absolutely delighted to be in receipt of this grant, which means for the first time in our history we are completely sustainable," she said.

"We've always had to go year on year with our funding, but this means we don't have to worry about it for five years.

"We all gave ourselves a pat on the back when we heard the news."

The charity also runs a day centre named The Welcome Club on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays where people with mental health problems can meet up, make friends and get support.

Mrs Padfield said the cash would be used not only to continue the charity's existing services while also introducing some new ones.

"It's really important to us to reach local people," she said.

"With all the cutbacks over the past few years we've been getting more and more people coming through our doors, so this is important."

The charity is one of 10 projects across the West Midlands to be given a share of £2.6 million grant by the Big Lottery Fund, with others including a scheme helping young people in Hereford with mental health issues and another supporting female sex workers in Wolverhampton.

For more information on Evesham and District Mental Health Support Services call 01386 229454 or visit edmhss@btconnect.com.