ELDERLY people living in and around Malvern are celebrating after receiving an early Christmas present from the National Lottery Charities Board.

The Malvern and District branch of Age Concern has struck lucky with a grant for £185,000 to provide a mobile day centre.

The award, to be received over three years, will pay for a minibus, trailer unit, running costs and the salaries of one full-time and two part-time staff.

More than £300,000 has been given to voluntary and community groups across the county in this latest batch of grants.

Cheques will also soon be received by Little Witley Parish Hall committee and the Parkinson's Disease Society of The United Kingdom.

Age Concern is celebrating its second Lottery grant in two years, which is enabling it to help elderly people live independent lives.

Their first grant was used to provide a handyman, who visits homes to carry out jobs that cannot otherwise be done.

Since April this year he has been called out more than 600 times for duties such as putting up curtains and changing washers.

"We're very pleased to be getting another grant," said George Waugh, chief officer at the Age Concern office.

"We're feeling very benevolent."

The charity will be buying a new minibus, which will tow a tailor-made caravan.

The caravan will be used to provide hand, feet and hair care, as well as for a place where confidential advice can be given.

"We'll take the caravan to parish halls and set that service up, then we can use the facilities in the hall to provide entertainment or exercise classes, as well as for lunch," said Mr Waugh.

"We can also use the minibus as a way of transporting people to the venue.

The scheme, which will mainly serve rural areas, will be set up in April and provisional venues include Leigh, Suckley, Abberley and Tunnel Hill.