A SUPPORT group has been saved from fading away thanks to a cash boost.

Friends in Community Health (FINCH) provides invaluable support to patients and staff at Hollins Park Hospital thanks to its volunteers, who carry out shopping and befriending services and gives out small grants to pay for specialist equipment.

The group's future was under a cloud of doubt following a number of changes to the governing powers at the hospital, which involved Warrington Community Healthcare Trust being split into two new bodies.

But thanks to a lottery grant of more than £100,000, its future is now secure and it is looking to expand.

The Community Fund, responsible for distributing National Lottery cash, will give FINCH £105,593 over the next three years, which will be used to employ a new full-time volunteer's co-ordinator, or a part-time administrator and cover other general costs.

Dave Thompson, disability and equality advisor and FINCH management team member, said: "The grant was very much welcomed by the whole group. There has been a lot of speculation about the future of the organisation after the changes to the NHS Trust and the creation of the Primary Care Group and the Five Borough Partnership.

"We weren't sure where we would be in the future - but now we know there is still an awful lot of work to do.

"The primary care trust is going to look after a lot of people in the community and FINCH will be continuing to support those people. Thanks to this grant we now have the chance to expand and will be bringing in co-ordinators to help us do that."