An academy trust which educates thousands of children across the region has secured a £2m funding boost to develop social action projects.

Ormiston Academies Trust (OAT) will receive the money through the #iwill Fund to ensure pupils engage in meaningful youth social action and develop social, emotional and life skills.

The trust has numerous academies across the east of England, including Lowestoft's Ormiston Denes Academy.

Half the funding will come from the #iwill Fund, made possible using National Lottery funding, while the rest comes courtesy of the Ormiston Trust.

Between 2018 and December 2020, the funding will be used to embed and integrate social action as part of the core and broader curriculum in academies across the OAT network.

Chief executive officer Nick Hudson said: ''We are absolutely delighted to have been awarded this funding and would like to thank the #iwill Fund partners – and of course our parent body, the Ormiston Trust, for their continued support.'