Parents and children are celebrating after the county was awarded more than £100,000 for nursery care.

The £129,568 grant from the National Lottery will be used for the development of a new 48-place neighbourhood nursery within the grounds of Elbury Mount Primary School on Fairfield Close, Worcester.

The nursery will be built under the same roof as a new learning and technology centre.

"This funding will benefit the entire local community and provide a valuable service for an area which currently has very little provision," said Cath Elliot, business support officer for Worcestershire Early Years and Childcare Service.

"Having the nursery alongside the learning centre will enable local people to work together and get the support they need which is extremely positive."

The funding ties in with the Government's Sure Start scheme, which aims to work with parents-to-be, and parents with children under the age of four to promote the physical, intellectual and social development of babies and young children.

In Worcester it covers the areas of Dines Green, Tolladine, Brickfields and parts of Warndon.

The money awarded to the county council is part of a grant totalling more than £2.5m for children in the West Midlands, which will handed out by the Lottery's distributors, New Opportunities Fund.

The grants come from the Fund's Building Neighbourhood Nurseries programme, which aims to create quality nursery care for young children, allowing parents to take on work and training opportunities.