A project to help recovering addicts and people with mental health issues has benefitted from a cash boost as part of a regional lottery grant.

Great Yarmouth based recovery group, Hands on HeArt, has received £10,000 from The Big Lottery Fund.

The money will go towards their rent at their site based on Queen’s Anne Road, as well as towards their weekly CRAFT drop-in arts group.

As well as that, they have got the added bonus of £500 from the Adnams Charity, which will go towards purchasing spinning and weaving equipment for the group.

The group is run by, and for people, who have lived with mental health issues or battled addictions, through creating handmade crafts.

Genevieve Rudd, a committee member for Hands on HeArt, said: “We are very happy with the funding as it means we can carry on for another year.

“It means we can carry on what we are doing where we are based, as it will allow us to pay for the rent. And it will allow us to develop our weekly drop-in arts group, design and create hand-crafted items for sale for local stalls and shops, and grow more opportunities for our members to develop their crafting skills.

A range of creative skills are taught including textiles and fashion, jewellery design and pyrography art.

The project also offers peer to peer support and guidance.

One person who enjoys using the centre, is Angela Johnson, 29, of Great Yarmouth. She said: “I have been coming here for a year and a half now and I always enjoy coming back.It is all about meeting new people, making friends and socialising with people who I have shared similar experiences with.

“It is a really nice environment, and I enjoy taking part in all of the arts and crafts sessions.”

One of the main projects in development is the funding for equipment and other costs to create a mosaic labyrinth for the site’s garden.

The CRAFT retail project was founded at the end of 2015 by Hands on HeART, and they have held stalls at events such as the Gorleston Christmas Lights Switch-On and enterpriseGY’s Christmas craft market at Great Yarmouth Library.

The group is for people aged 18 and over, and it is based at the Community Roots - Mind Allotments, on Queen Anne’s Road in Great Yarmouth.

The group is open on Tuesdays from 10.30am to 3.30pm, and refreshments and a healthy lunch are provided for £1.

For details, call or text 07480 624748.