A Great Yarmouth charity that supports disabled people with information and advice is celebrating receiving its largest ever grant.DIAL, based in George Street, has been handed £36,000 by the Lloyds TSB Foundation for England and Wales - ending 18 months of negotiations with the organisation, one of the UK's largest grant-making trusts.

A Great Yarmouth charity that supports disabled people with information and advice is celebrating receiving its largest ever grant.

DIAL, based in George Street, has been handed £36,000 by the Lloyds TSB Foundation for England and Wales - ending 18 months of negotiations with the organisation, one of the UK's largest grant-making trusts.

The successful award towards the salary costs of a full time project coordinator for the next three years means the charity - founded in April 1985 - can carry on with its vital work and add new services.

DIAL Great Yarmouth provides information and advice to disabled people and carers, including assistance with claiming disability benefits, but on a shoestring budget relying on charity shop income and small handouts.

The service is provided by a team of volunteers, many of whom have a disability themselves.

John Watt, chairman of DIAL Great Yarmouth, said: “This grant award is fantastic for our organisation, as it enables us to fund our project coordinator and continue to improve and develop the service. This, together with the relocation to the new office, is evidence of the continuing success over the last eighteen months.”

Trustee Karen Watt said it was the third time DIAL had applied to the foundation, adding: “It was quite an in-depth process and it has taken us 18 months to get. They came back to us and said certain things needed reviewing, we adapted them and now we have been successful. It means we can keep our full time project co-ordinator Sue who was funded until March next year. We are really over the moon.”

Contact DIAL Great Yarmouth on 01493 856900, email info@dial-greatyarmouth.org.uk, website www.dial-greatyarmouth.org.uk. The charity welcomes donations of clothing, toys and books for its Broad Row shop.

The Lloyds TSB Foundation of England and Wales supports charities that help disadvantaged people play a fuller role in the community. Its four foundations receive one percent of Lloyds TSB Group's pre-tax profits, averaged over three years, in lieu of their shareholder dividend. For information visit www.lloydstsbfoundations.org.uk.