Picture: TV presenter Cheryl Baker hands the Sunlight Development Trust team their cheque

The money will be used to convert one of the Trust’s existing rooms, at its headquarters in Kent, into a holistic centre. The new area will offer life skills, advice, counselling and complementary therapy.

Peter and Sunlight already improve health inequity and wellbeing for thousands of people by providing a range of social, medical and community activities. Now they can expand their services further.

Peter said: “The idea was pioneered by a local volunteer and Sunlight beneficiary, Bob Smith, and we were selected by public vote on 29 November to win enough lottery money to develop the project.

“When complete, volunteers and practitioners will have a suitable area to deliver the help people have been asking for and local people will be able to make better use of the centre. We can help with issues such as debt, housing problems, domestic abuse, youth work, parenting, chronic pain and Alzheimers and Dementia.”

Ninety grants of up to £80,000 were up grabs, including awards to the most popular projects in each ITV region.

ITV Meridian South East viewers voted for Sunlight to win the award after a nail biting head-to-head contest for community votes screened on the ITV regional evening news on 29 November.

A Big Lottery Fund spokesperson said: “The Sunlight Development Trust Ltd won the hearts – and a bigger slice of the public vote – after viewers tuned in to find out about the project.”

Sunlight was competing with Pilgrims Way School in Canterbury for votes. They wanted to create an educational garden with access for all. Peter has said he will help them find funding and also provide Sunlight volunteer gardeners.

Full details of Big Lottery Fund programmes and grant awards are available at www.biglotteryfund.org.uk.

Read more about Peter here and see the Sunlight Trust website here