A LOCAL history group is celebrating after it received an early Christmas present.

Annfield Plain Family History Society learned this week that its £2,750 bid to the National Lottery Awards for All fund was successful.

The cash will go on equipment and films to expand the group's activities.

Society chairman John Milburn said he was delighted. "Our society is small but expanding and is therefore very grateful to Awards for All for this grant," he said.

"It will allow us to purchase church registers on microfilm and we are looking forward to making them available within the local library."

It marks a hat-trick of successful grant bids by the group, which in the past won £465 from the European Union Single Regeneration Budget and a £2,000 Community Champions Award.

The society put the lottery bid together with the help of Marie Moore, funding officer at Derwentside District Council. "People are quite often daunted by the process of filling the application form in," she said.

"Sometimes they need a helping hand and we can also cast a professional eye over the finished form and make sure nothing is missing. It can make all the difference."

Any groups wanting advice on applying for grants should contact Mrs Moore on (01207) 218203.