LOTTERY funding of over £300,000 has secured the future of an Allendale-based charity for the next five years.

Since 2009, Natural Ability has provided opportunities for people with learning disabilities to develop their skills and build self-esteem.

It works with rural-based organisations to provide work programmes in farming, horticulture, forestry, and in other outdoor work environments, which can lead to career opportunities.

Now the Big Lottery Fund, which has financed the charity since 2012, has backed Natural Ability for a further five-year period, with a £314,000 boost.

Janice Walker, who founded the charity with Annie Evans eight years ago, said: “We are really delighted because this shows that we have achieved what we initially set out to do, and that the Big Lottery Fund has confidence in us to deliver moving forward.”

Through Natural Ability, children and adults have enjoyed land management projects at Hexhamshire and at Sinderhope, where food was harvested to provide fresh produce for a cookery class.

Natural Ability’s day farming manager Jo Phillipson said: “All of the opportunities we provide offer development through meaningful work outdoors, which enables the progression of skills.”

The charity has grown considerably since it was originally launched in Allenheads.

It swiftly moved to its current base, at Allendale’s Forge Studios, and will soon be on the lookout for bigger premises.

Janice added: “We help people with different types of disability across a vast geographical area, between Newcastle and Carlisle. We now have 50 staff, and work with volunteers, businesses and other organisations.

“The Forge is a great venue for us, but we have grown to such a size that we now need somewhere with two dedicated classrooms.

“A farm environment would be ideal, but not essential, because we have a minibus and are flexible about how we do things.”

For more information visit www.naturalability.org or view the Natural Ability Facebook page.