A charity in Millom has secured funding worth over £180,000 and will use the money to create a 'community bus'.

The Millom Network Centre announced that they had been working in partnership with the South Copeland Disability Group to earn the financial backing.

The £183,000 sum has been provided by the The National Lottery Community Fund, which will spearhead a three-year project from this point onwards.

Sue Dust, the office manager, said: "This will allow the centre to offer the community a valuable and much needed service, that will transport local residents to and from local events, community groups and access to our MNC Community Food Shop.

"The feedback that we were receiving was that people without transport and mobility issues struggled to access these things."

Initially the plan is to provide a bus service between Millom and Haverigg five days a week, which will help connect locals to the charity as well as other parts of Cumbria.

Sue explained: "The timetable is currently in the planning stages as it will be some time before we take delivery of the bus which will need to be built and fitted out with the necessary access to ensure its suitability."

The 'amazing' news comes at a time when the centre's influence in the area has reached new heights.

Read more: Millom centre receives award for providing food to community | The Mail (nwemail.co.uk)

Back in January, the charity was given an award for providing free food to the community, with the bus set to ensure more people than ever can access this particular service.

At the tail end of last year, volunteers and staff also earned acclaim for working through a snow storm to deliver meals to residents who had become isolated.

Read more: Millom centre makes and delivers meals for isolated people | The Mail (nwemail.co.uk)

The National Lottery Community Fund distributes over £600 million a year in communities across the UK, with Millom now the latest beneficiary.