A YORK charity, which supports children with deafness, has secured £285,00 of Lottery Funding.

Founded in 2004, Lollipop supports children and young people age 0 to 25 and families with any degree of deafness, including children of deaf adults, in York and North Yorkshire.

Lollipop's "small and dedicated" team offer free monthly activities under the oversight of their board of trustees, and provide a deaf peer group to help build confidence, promote a sense of belonging and reduce isolation.

The charity has secured £285,000 of Lottery funding to continue and expand their work in York.

Laura Walker, chair of the charity, said: "This is such fantastic news, the funding will enable us to continue our work, providing a safe space for deaf children, young people and their families to connect and share experiences together that they may not otherwise get to have.

"Attending Lollipop activities creates a sense of belonging and increases the confidence of members, this is confidence they can then take forward into every aspect of their lives as they grow up.

"We are very excited about the future of the charity and aim to build upon and expand our activities as a result of the amazing support from the Lottery Fund.”

For further information on the charity, please contact the Lollipop office at info@lollipopyork.org.uk or visit the website www.lollipopyork.org.uk.