A Congleton-based charity is celebrating five more years of National Lottery funding.

Friends for Leisure, who support disabled children and young people across Cheshire East, have been awarded new funding from The National Lottery Community Fund.

It will be used to recruit and retain volunteers a similar age to those the charity supports, which is vital for building and maintaining positive one-to-one friendships.

Gillian Jones, Friends for Leisure charity manager, said: "We are delighted that the National Lottery Community Fund has recognised our work and is continuing to support our volunteering programme. 

"We believe Friends for Leisure is unique with 80 per cent of our volunteers aged 18-25.

"In the past twelve months alone, we have had record numbers of people register to volunteer and this extra funding will help us continue that momentum."  

Charity manager Gillian Jones (Credit: Friends for Leisure)

Friends for Leisure's main aim is to provide disabled children and young people the opportunity to have fun, make friends and do everyday things that others may take for granted.

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It provides support and regular activities for disabled people aged 5-21 across Cheshire East, including Congleton, Macclesfield, Crewe, Knutsford, Sandbach and Disley.  

This year the charity is also celebrating its 30th anniversary.

Originally founded by a group of parents who wanted to provide friendship and leisure opportunities for their disabled children, the charity now has seven full-time and five part-time members of staff and is supported by a network of up to 100 volunteers.

Providing activities during term time and school holidays, the charity aims to reduce loneliness, improve confidence and independence and offer a place for children to make friends and have fun. 

Gillian added: "Our volunteers are central to the work the charity does and without them we couldn't cover the areas that we do.

"Now, thanks to National Lottery players, we will be able to continue to grow our volunteer programme and support hundreds of disabled children and young people across Cheshire East, which is especially poignant in our 30th Year."