THE Shaw Trust is celebrating after being awarded a Community Fund grant of £140,453 which will allow it to help disabled people to train for careers in catering.

The west Wiltshire charity was one of 25 organisations selected from 78 applicants which were awarded a share of nearly £2.5 million on Monday.

Arran Saunders, business development director for The Shaw Trust, said the money will be used to fund a training facility for disabled people, to be based at the Palmer Gardens project in Trowbridge.

A fully equipped kitchen and caf is to be built, where the trainees will be able to gain qualifications in catering.

The caf will be open to the public, to provide the students with experience in customer care and dealing with members of the public.

Mr Saunders said: "This grant will help us convince people that disabled people can do most jobs as equally as anyone else."

The Palmer Gardens nursery already provides a training centre for physically and learning disabled people in horticulture.

Mr Saunders hopes that building work for the new development will begin before the end of the year.

He said that as soon as the award was announced discussions began for planning permission and hopes that the project can be completed by the spring.

The Community Fund provides grants from the money raised through the National Lottery, and is the biggest funder of charities and voluntary groups in the UK.

Lin Whitfield, the chairman of the Community Fund's south west regional awards committee, said: "The work that these projects are doing will help to ease isolation and loneliness amongst the poor and disadvantaged and contribute to greater community involvement."

John Skrine, development and communications manager for Community Fund, said any other companies seeking funding should get in contact to see whether they meet the criteria on (01392) 849701.