A HALESWORTH-based charity is celebrating after winning a lottery grant for its arts training project.Suffolk Artlink, which operates out of the Cut arts centre, has been successful in securing a grant of £76,945 from the Big Lottery Reaching Communities fund for the Open Doors project.

A HALESWORTH-based charity is celebrating after winning a lottery grant for its arts training project.

Suffolk Artlink, which operates out of the Cut arts centre, has been successful in securing a grant of £76,945 from the Big Lottery Reaching Communities fund for the Open Doors project.

Open Doors is a professional arts training programme for adults 19+ with mild to moderate learning difficulties.

The 30-week training course covers all aspects of working within the arts including performance skills, front of house and backstage as well as a work placement within an arts organisation in Suffolk.

It gives adults with learning difficulties a chance to experience many aspects of working within the arts in Suffolk with the aim of finding fulfilling employment at the end of the course.

Chris Warner, Suffolk Artlink director said: “Everyone at Artlink is thrilled and delighted with this award which will help Artlink make a real difference to the quality of life of some of Suffolk's most vulnerable people.”

The training and employment programme will be delivered in partnership with Suffolk County Council Adult and Community Learning, the Open College Network, employment services and arts sector employers.

Mr Warner said: “Thanks to the Big Lottery funding this imaginative project can now go ahead later this spring.”