A special evening is being held tomorrow night to celebrate success stories from projects handed cash by Dudley Council’s Voluntary Sector Innovation Fund.

More than £3 million has been given out over two rounds of the fund, with the latest in October last year.

It was open to voluntary, community or faith sector organisations that help improve local neighbourhoods and provide support for adults and young people to live longer, safer and healthier lives. Some of the success stories will be showcased at a celebration event being held from 6.30pm on Tuesday 10th March at the Apostolic Revival Centre in Wolverhampton Street, Dudley.

They include Riverside Stourbridge CIC, which got £187,600 to bring a derelict former ironworks near Stourbridge town centre back into use as a heritage centre. Cranstoun Switch, which works with young people with drug or alcohol problems, got £102,271 to develop advice and support services, while the Friends of Wollescote Park got cash to develop a sensory garden for visitors to the site. Councillor Nicolas Barlow, cabinet member for health and adult social care, said:

"Voluntary and community groups play such an important part helping people in our borough, often on very tight budgets and with little room to manoeuvre.

"That’s why we were delighted to be able to set this substantial pot of cash aside to help such groups. There have been some amazing success stories, and I look forward to hearing more about them at the celebration event on Tuesday."