Citizen Advice Bureaux in Wickford, Basildon and Billericay could be in line for lottery cash - thanks to a boost from Basildon Council.

The CAB offices hope to get a grant from the National Lotteries Charities Board to set up an advice call centre for the district.

The initiative has been boosted by the first grants from Basildon District Council's Pre Bid Development Activities Grant Fund. Each of the bureaux has been awarded £900, the maximum grant available, and will combine the cash to employ a researcher to carry out a feasibility study, develop a business plan and draw up technical and operational details for the new centre.

These details will then help form a quality application to the National Lottery.

Nigel Smith, Basildon Council's community and leisure committee chairman, said: "We are obviously delighted to be able to assist the district's bureaux in this way and we hope the money will help them draw up a successful bid to the National Lottery Charities Board.

"It is good to see the three bureaux working together in a way that could result in residents of the district benefiting from an improved service funded by a lottery windfall for the CAB."

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