LOCAL charity LS29 is celebrating after being awarded £175,000 in National Lottery funding to support its work with young people with additional needs.

The group, based in Ilkley, will use the cash to run its respite holiday club, LS29 Time. LS29, which has been running since 2006, was founded by local parent Karen Goodman, to provide a support network to families and their children. The charity runs activities, trips and holidays for the whole family.

LS29 Time Holiday Club was set up last year and runs in the summer, Christmas and Easter holidays. The sessions, which are fully staffed, help the children to make friends, learn new skills and have fun, while providing family members with some respite time.

The new funding from The National Lottery Community Fund, will fully fund these sessions over the next two and half years. The club will trial specialist sessions for pre-five children with disabilities and residential trips for older young people. It will also seek to widen its provision for young people with severe intellectual disabilities and complex medical needs. The club,based at Little Lane Children’s Centre, will continue to offer its current sessions for primary and secondary age young people.

The bid was led by LS29 trustees Tanya Young and Jane Elliott. Jane said: “We’re over the moon that The National Lottery Community Fund has recognised LS29’s work in this way. Thanks to National Lottery players we will be able to press on with our plans to broaden the range of holiday club sessions available to local young people with additional needs. In LS29, we are all parents of children with disabilities so we know how important specialist holiday activities are, and how desperately needed the respite opportunities are for families.”

Karen Goodman, LS29 Chair added: “We’re delighted that the holiday club has been given this opportunity to meet the needs of more families in the area. A very big thank you to the National Lottery Community Fund and lottery players.”