FAMILIES on low incomes across Swindon will soon be able to buy cheap electrical goods thanks to an injection of Lottery money that will fund the Refurbiz project.

Refurbiz was set up with the help of the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust last November.

It aims to save electrical goods from the dump, refurbish them, and pass them on at low or no cost to disadvantaged people.

Last week, it learnt it had been awarded £300,000 from the Community Recycling and Economic Development Fund that distributes money from the New Opportunities Fund of the National Lottery.

Refurbiz now has to find equal funding to access the money from CRED.

Refurbiz project officer Ken Brown said: "To be granted this money is a huge achievement for us. To find an equal sum of money will be an even greater challenge.

"But it must be done because we have to cut the amount of waste electrical goods being dumped in landfill sites ahead of August when a new European directive becomes law in the UK."

The legislation aims to make a massive reduction in the amount of electrical goods that are being thrown away.

Every year Wiltshire throws away 9,600 tonnes of electrical goods the equivalent of 68 double-decker busloads.

Mr Brown believes Refurbiz could cut this amount by about a third in the next two years.

In Swindon Top Drawer on 01793 536613 or Scamp (computers only) 01793 484654 can take goods to be passed onto Refurbiz.

He urges householders to contact the following recycling charities to have their used and reusable electrical goods collected. These will then be passed on to Refurbiz.

In North Wiltshire: Genesis on 01249 822282 or Waste Not Want Not on 01249 447140.