DELIGHTED members of the Bolton Council for Voluntary Service are celebrating "winning" £1 million!

This is the amount they have scooped for local voluntary and community groups in the last 12 months.

The CVS, an independent local charity, worked closely with seven groups who were given £896,000 lottery cash.

The group also advised another 36 groups in successful bids totalling £133,000.

Mr Andy Hazeldine, chairman of the group, said: "We are delighted to have passed this milestone and to feel that we have made such an important difference to the prospects of so many local groups working to improve the quality of life in the borough.

"But we don't just help groups to get money. We also offer information and advice to voluntary bodies on a range of other subjects, from constitutions to employment practice and from publicity to charitable status."

The CVS annual report, out next month, will also show that, for the first time, more than 1,000 enquiries were dealt with - 1,030 in fact, a 52 per cent increase on last year's figures.

The CVS, which is largely funded by Bolton Council, can be contacted on 396011.

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