HALF a million pounds of Lottery cash will give charity projects in York and Ryedale a boost after grant announcements made today.

York charity Survive, which helps the victims of sexual abuse and assault, and Ryedale’s Home-Start scheme to support vulnerable and single parents, have both been awarded more than £200,000.

Survive, based in Priory Street, will benefit from £210,231 over three years to run a counselling service and an outreach team, while Home-Start has been given £283,170 to increase the number of families they can help from 30 to 50 a year for the next five years.

The cash for Survive means sexual abuse and rape survivors in North Yorkshire can get much needed specialist counselling from a service the charity can now run.

And the funding will include an outreach project so staff and volunteers can now support survivors in various locations, even visiting them at home.

The charity’s Danielle Wardman said: “No other charities in the York area offer specialist counselling for survivors of rape and sexual abuse; those charities that do offer a broader counselling service are in high demand and the waiting lists are invariably very long.

“The ability to give our clients what they have been asking for all these years is just fantastic – we are over the moon and can’t wait to begin the projects.”

For the Ryedale branch of Home-Start, the grant is a continuation of Big Lottery Fund cash first awarded to them in 2011.

The charity recruits and trains parent volunteers to support families who are struggling to cope and during the past year, has supported 42 families including 86 children in the district.

Coordinator Jo Oliver said: “We feel extremely privileged the Big Lottery can see the benefits our project will bring to children and families throughout the area. In a time when many charities are facing uncertain financial futures, to receive funds to continue our service for another five years is absolutely amazing news. This funding will enable us to recruit some new members of staff – something we haven’t been able to do until now.”