A CHARITY on the brink of closure has been saved for now, thanks to a £25,000 cash boost from a company.

Smash – Swindon Mentoring And Self Help project – which feared it would have to close in March, can keep its doors open thanks to a grant from Alcatel-Lucent.

The 10-year-old West Swindon-based project trains volunteers to mentor vulnerable teenagers and last year 117 young people came through its doors.

Project manager Rob Chappell said: “There is light at the end of the tunnel – we can think about a future beyond March next year.

“It is really heartening to know there are people out there who recognise and value what we do.

“We are not out of the woods yet but this is a big step forwards.

“It is great they recognise we are an organisation which does something genuinely important – we are so grateful.”

The money will be spent on supporting teenagers through group activities while they wait for a mentor to be assigned to them.

Mr Chappell said: “Some youngsters can wait up to a year to get matched with a mentor.

“The point at which they are referred to us is a crisis point in their lives, we need to get them involved. We will be able to have someone looking after them.”

Teenagers and Smash staff celebrated the windfall with mince pies and mulled wine on Wednesday at the Link Centre.

Sixteen-year-old Charlie Lawer, of Gorse Hill, who has been through the Smash programme is relieved the charity has received the funding.

She said: “Smash really helped me through hard times. I would be lost without it. It gave me someone to talk to and things to do to take your mind off things.

“It is really good that they have received funding.”

Mr Chappell said there can be up to 40 teenagers waiting for mentors at any one time and it is important to match them with the right person.

The charity’s next training session for volunteer mentors will take place in April.

Shaun Cairns Alcatel-Lucent’s chairman of the Society Matters Group said: “It’s not just about the money.

“We are hoping that by raising the profile of the charity some of our employees will be encouraged to become mentors for young people on the programme as it’s a very worthy cause.”