A PROJECT for adult and community learning in Huddersfield received a huge windfall from the National Lottery today.

Hillhouse Community Resource Centre in Hillhouse Lane receives £337,622 from the Big Lottery Fund’s Reaching Communities programme.

The three-year grant has been awarded to Integrated Resources for Community Development (InterComm) which has developed a project offering a variety of learning opportunities for black and minority ethnic communities.

The centre will be a community “hub” for local people and groups wanting to hold meetings.

It will also provide learning opportunities, information and guidance sessions including job-searching and interview skills.

Staff and college tutors will also provide learning opportunities including IT skills, English for Speakers of Other languages and basic skills support.

Laud Torkornoo, of InterComm, explained that the community resource initiative started from the Hudawi Centre in 2002, continued at the Ray Street Enterprise centre, and would now continue at the Hillhouse Centre in Birkby.

“The Big Lottery Fund Award will enable InterComm to develop an improved multi-functional, community-owned resource centre providing sustainable, community-based services for all its users, especially members of the black and minority ethnic communities in Kirklees,” he said.

“The Hillhouse Community Resource centre will offer basic skills and ESOL activities to black and minority ethnic adults and Asian Muslim women.

“We will be offering activities including computer and internet skills classes, and one to one surgeries to help the unemployed with job applications and interview techniques.”

Vanessa White, Big Lottery Fund head of region for Yorkshire and The Humber said: “This project will help bring learning opportunities to the heart of the community as well as advice and guidance on finding employment and volunteering opportunities.

“The Big Lottery Fund is all about building better communities and helping people to improve their lives, this project will certainly help to do that”.