A youth charity is celebrating after receiving three years’ worth of funding from the National Lottery

Spark a branch of national charity Worth Unlimited, based in Loughton Youth Centre, shall receive £40,000 a year.

Loughton Town Mayor Stella Murphy celebrated the news alongside staff, volunteers and supporters who help young people with mental health challenges.

This will support counselling and mentoring work with young people aged 11 to 23 years across Epping Forest.

Funding from The National Lottery Community Fund, which distributes money raised by their players, will go towards Spark’s core operating costs, increasing its capacity to offer one-to-one counselling appointments.

Adele Rogers, manager of Spark, says: “We’re delighted that The National Lottery Community Fund has recognised our work in this way.

“It’s clear to us that there is a huge need for this type of support for young people in the Epping Forest community.

“In addition, increasing the number of workshops we offer enables us to reach even more young people, to help them navigate the issues they are facing in their formative years and make good life choices and reach their potential.”

To find out more, visit www.worthunlimited.co.uk/spark or www.facebook.com/sparkworthunlimited