A SOMERSET charity which offers counselling services and mental health support to young people is celebrating after receiving a £23,000 grant from the National Lottery.

In Charley's Memory (ICM), which is based in Brue Way, Highbridge, was forced to close its doors when the coronavirus pandemic hit the UK in March but continued its work to support young people virtually.

The charity said the money, which came from the National Lottery Community Fund, will be used to help them to continue to run their counselling service which has grown in the last year.

Dawn Carey, Operations Manager at ICM, said: "We're delighted that The National Lottery Community Fund has recognized our work in this way.

"We lost significant funding as a result of Covid-19.

"Now, thanks to National Lottery players we will be able to continue with our work supporting young people.

"This is important because it we are having more contact than ever for young people requiring our services."

ICM offers counselling and mental health support to young people between the ages of 11 and 25.

Earlier this year the mental health charity launched a counselling service for people over the age of 26 after seeing an increase in demand for their services.

The charity was founded by Jo Clement in 2014 to help young people with mental health problems after her son, Charley Marks, took his own life at the age of 18.

For more information about In Charley's Memory visit www.incharleysmemory.co.uk/