Community pride and the opportunity to enjoy days out for residents in a rundown Dudley community is being restored thanks to the efforts of a group of volunteers.

The St Andrew’s Residents Trust (StART) has launched a drop-in information centre, arranged out of school activities for children and taken elderly residents on day trips to other parts of the country following its launch last summer.

Other work has been made possible with a £30,000 grant from the Black Country Community Foundation through its Fairshare scheme.

The volunteers are now busy drawing up a further bid for funding from the same organisation to enable them to continue with their work next year.

Volunteer Pat Randle said: “This grant has enabled us to make a real difference to the lives of people in this area and we are anxious to ensure we can secure further funding to allow us to continue what we have started.

“It is aimed at everyone from children to pensioners and has proved very popular.

“For the first time residents living in St Andrews ward have been able to benefit from activities which have previously only been available elsewhere in the borough.”

Initiatives introduced by StART include a junior fishing club which currently has 25 people on its waiting list, holiday clubs for school children, first aid courses for adults, an introduction to youth work course for teenagers and day trips for the area’s older residents.

Launched last summer with just eight volunteers, this number has now expanded to 30 who are responsible for running the activities.

The St Andrew’s ward is made up of Lodge Farm, Saltwells, part of Netherton, Darby End, Windmill End, Dudley Wood and Bowling Green and has been identified by Dudley Council as one of the most deprived in the country.