The Meadow Barn View skills centre in Whitwick for adults with Learning Disabilities and Autism was this week presented with a cheque for over £170,000 by the National Lottery Community Fund.

The money will go towards expanding the facility, which started out as a family home, with the introduction of a new cafe facility where people can get actual work experience with customers being made welcome when it opens.

Although the cafe building is still around six to eight months from completion, the plans are in place and Meadow Barn officials say this will take them to the next level.

Meadow Barn has a successful record of working with adults with learning disabilities and autism.

The three year National Lottery funding will see the creation of an on-site coffee shop as part of a skills centre project.

The project will see new service users receive accredited, practical training enabling them to move through the skills centre and move on into the world of work or community volunteering.

The building on the right will be converted into a working coffee shop

Paul Winterbottom, from Meadow Barn, told Coalville Nub News: "This a day centre with a series of on-site activities that help promote healthy living and improve people's lives, so that people reach their full potential, irrespective of any disability.

"For us, funding from the National Lottery takes us to a newer and different level.

"It means we can convert a barn here into a skill centre, this will see cohorts of adults with disabilities coming through the centre for a set period of time and receive an accredited training programme.

"That could be in hygiene, cash handling, customer care, garden care, woodworking or IT skills.

"At the end of that, the key part is trying to link that person, following their training, back into the community through either full-time or part-time employment, or volunteering in the community.

"Then they have a skill. People who have a disability often means they are very enthusiastic and committed employees.

"If you can then get employers to take them on and give them the opportunities that they need, then they have a chance to succeed and become independent.

'It's less of a burden on the state and people can look after themselves."

Lynda Toon, who was awarded the MBE in 2009 for services to Adults with Learning Disabilities in Leicestershire, is Meadow Barn View's chief executive.

She added: "I've been working with people with disabilities for around 30 years.

"But we didn't think using this place as a day centre was ever going to happen. Then we had a coffee morning and invited local social worker, and that was it.

"Now we have 12 members of staff."

Meadow Barn director, Jess Bilson, says the site in Whitwick has been completely transformed.

She said: "We moved here as a family home about 10 years ago, it was dark and drab, and we said we needed to do something with it.

"So it's gone from that, to this, in about seven years.

"Now, over the course of a week, we have about 100 spaces."

Paul added: "We have also received funding from different groups and now the site is completely run on solar energy.

"That's fantastic and creates a green environment. Any money we make is ploughed back in to the site.

"And when the cafe is open it will be open to the public."

Hannah Asprey-Smith, the National Lottery's local funding officer, explained why Meadow Barn was chosen to receive the funding, which amounted to £174,626.

She said: "The work being done at Meadow Barn fits in with our community ethos and is providing expertise in the workplace."