COLCHESTER'S Gay Switchboard has been thrown a lifeline after its headquarters were devastated by lightning last month.

A phone system worth £1,800 has been donated to the valuable service after its old one was rendered useless by a bolt of lightning.

The group which offers advice and support to gays and lesbians was helped in its hour of need by the Colchester Community Voluntary Services who read about the helpline's plight in the Evening Gazette.

Gay Switchboard manager Nick Winch said they were overwhelmed by the donation.

He said: "We could not believe it. It was horrendous when the lightning struck and we were left having to find £6,000 for new phones. For a while we were just using old style dial phones which was absolutely awful.

"Then out of the blue this donation came.

"It was unbelievable good luck that the voluntary service had one at the time we needed it so much."

Now the group has to find about £2,000 to add voice mail to the system and install a new minicom system for the hearing impaired.

Members of the public have helped out by donating £800 to the helpline.

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