A BEFRIENDING project in Bradford has been nominated for a major award.

The Befriending Older People’s Project, supported by Age UK Bradford and District, is chasing votes after reaching the finals of a National Lottery awards scheme.

The project, which was given £248,754 in 2014 by the Big Lottery, now has to battle it out with six other organisations from across the UK to be named the awards’ Best Voluntary/Charity Project

It has already beat competition from more than 600 applicants to reach the voting stage in the awards’ annual search for the UK’s favourite Lottery-funded projects.

The winners of the seven categories will each get a £3,000 cash prize, a National Lottery Awards trophy and will attend a star-studded glittering Awards ceremony in London which will be broadcast on BBC One in September.

National Lottery funding helped Age UK Bradford and District set up the older people’s project, which provides companionship to older people in the Bradford area who are socially isolated and lonely.

Aliya Anwar, befriending co-ordinator at Age UK Bradford and District, said: “We are delighted to have reached the finals of the National Lottery Awards. Lottery funding helped us deliver a befriending service for older people living in Bradford who are socially isolated and lonely.

“This project not only provides companionship through our dedicated team of volunteers but organises social activities to allow older people to get together and enjoy themselves.

“The programme makes such a positive difference in the lives of the people we work with and it would be a tremendous reward to win a National Lottery Award. I would appeal to the public to get out and give us a vote.”

TV star and actor John Barrowman, who will be presenting the National Lottery Awards for the sixth time this year, said: “These local projects have worked very hard to become finalists and they now need public support because the project with the most votes in each category will be crowned the winner.”

To vote for the Befriending Older People’s Project, go to lotterygoodcaus es.org.uk/awards or telephone 0844 8369718. People can also follow the campaign on twitter, #NLAwards.

Voting opened yesterday and runs for four weeks until midnight on Wednesday, July 20.