THE owner of a children's nursery who won the National Lottery has benefitted from it again - this time to help give children the best start in life.

Clare McCullagh carried on caring for children after winning a £165,000 share of £2.4m on the National Lottery in 1999.

And now Rosedene Nurseries, the chain of private nurseries which she owns, is transforming a disused church in Guisborough into a 60-place nursery thanks to a £75,300 lottery grant from the New Opportunities Fund.

The former Christian Science church on Hutton Lane was a mini-supermarket before it became a place of worship.

The new centre, expected to open next year, will provide places for babies and offer parenting skills, antenatal, child psychology and baby massage classes.

The new nursery will also make provision for teenage mothers and may provide after-school care.

The lottery cash would be granted on the strength of those specific undertakings.

Mrs McCullagh, 37, who also owns nurseries in Yarm, Marske and Redcar, said: "We found out we had the grant earlier this week and we've been over the moon ever since.

"I think we were granted the cash because we already have a good record offering child care and can get started offering the service straight away."

The lottery grant is only the second to be awarded for a new nursery in Cleveland. The lottery and the Government are providing £303m over the next three years to expand nursery education across the country.

Baroness Jill Pitkeathley, chairman of the lottery New Opportunities Fund, said: "These grants are paving the way for the creation of new childcare places by investing in much-needed buildings.

"The grants demonstrate the fund's continuing commitment to backing community-led, quality nursery provision."