The facelift will include 71 flats and a hi-tech activity centre at the site in Wolverhampton Road East, Sedgley.

Bosses are delighted with the cash windfall and say it will allow them to offer independent living to more blind and partially-sighted people in the region.

Ian Ferguson, chief executive of the Beacon Centre, said the grant from the Housing Corporation and Bromford Housing Group was nearly the final piece in the jigsaw for £13 million redevelopment plans.

He said: “There is still a lot of work to do, but we will get there. I would like to thank our trustees for their foresight, and the hard work put in by everybody concerned who have brought this vision to reality.”

Helen Collins, from Bromford Housing Group, said: “This scheme will provide much-needed, high-quality accommodation, facilities, care and support for people with a visual impairment.”

The Housing Corporation’s West Midlands head of investment, Peter Jones, said: “This scheme is an excellent example of how partnership working will deliver high quality, affordable homes and support.”