A JOB club has been given a £15,000 boost thanks to rail firm c2c.

The train operator handed out half of its overall grant funding to the Helping Hands club, based at Lee Chapel North Community Hall, in Ballards Walk, Laindon.

The money, which will be handed out in stages over the next three years, is expected to help nearly 700 young people find work.

In the National Express Foundation's latest round of grants, a total of 30,000 was awarded to six charities and groups across Essex and London.

In total, the grants are expected to benefit 1,200 young people.

John McKay, who runs the Helping Hands job club, said: “This is the third time we have been awarded money by the National Express Foundation, and we are truly grateful to have been given funding over the next three years.

“This grant will provide a big boost to the work we do locally trying to help young people on the estate into employment.”

The Bar 'N' Bus Trust was also awarded £2,500 to provide mobile youth services in Grays, Stanford-le-Hope and Corringham.

Shuffle Festival, in Tower Hamlets, Barking and Dagenham Young People’s Association, Rainham-based Health Psychology Management Organisation Services, and Well Grounded Jobs, which covers Newham, Barking and Towe Hamlets, also received funding.

Anthony Vigor, chairman of the National Express Foundation, said: “Our funding for the six successful community groups along our route will help deliver even more positive and engaging activities for local young people.

“Since our launch in 2012 we have already helped over 2,000 local young people and with the latest round of funding awards we will be able to support over 1,200 more. We are looking forward to getting involved in the delivery of this year’s projects and really seeing how it helps our local young people progress in life.”

The Foundation, the charity arm of the train company, which runs the Shoebury to London Fenchurch Street line, has handed out £140,000 in funding over the last five years.

The National Express Foundation is available to organisations and youth groups in areas where National Express, which runs c2c, operates local public transport services.