A charity which supports survivors of sexual abuse or violence in Great Yarmouth has been awarded a grant of £499,500.
The Sue Lambert Trust, a Norfolk-based charity, received the money from the National Lottery Community Fund to continue its work in the town and surrounding districts.
The funding will be delivered in a three-phased programme over the next five years.
The grant means the charity can maintain and expand its support for sexual abuse survivors living in the local area.
The charity provides counselling and therapeutic support for people who have suffered sexual abuse and violence.
In Great Yarmouth, its team of qualified volunteer counsellors supports 200 people every year and gives 100 counselling sessions every week.
Anyone aged 11 or over can self-refer for support, no matter whether their experience of sexual abuse or assault took place recently, or years ago.
Clive Evans, CEO of the trust, said: “The National Lottery award from The National Lottery Community Fund means we can continue with our work in Great Yarmouth, and look at introducing new programmes too, helping survivors to improve their emotional wellbeing, build resilience, learn coping mechanisms for living with their trauma, and ultimately knowing they have someone to talk to and will be heard.
“Unfortunately, our services are constantly in enormous demand and our capacity to see new clients is stretched to the full.
"This much-needed grant will help us to continue our counselling services, which are free to access.
"We also hope to launch new peer support groups, to provide safe spaces where people can meet, gain confidence, and talk to others who understand them."
He also thanked the National Lottery Community Fund for recognising the work done by the trust.
The charity will also be focusing on increasing access to its counselling and therapeutic services for people from minority ethnic groups, and LGBTQI communities.
The money will also go towards training and support for volunteer counsellors - people who work closely with survivors to help them come to terms with their experiences so they can move on in a positive way.
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