A SALVATION Army centre for the homeless in Blackburn is out of debt for the first time in several years.

The Heaton Street centre's annual report has revealed that "careful control of expenditure" has brought about the upturn in fortunes.

And it is hoped the extra money will be spent on giving people who are preparing to leave the centre extra skills to help them cope with life back in the outside world.

Deputy Officer in charge at the centre David Yates said: "We would like to expand our re-settlement programme by doing something like equipping the people who leave here with cooking and budgeting skills.

"There has been no definite decision taken yet but that is what is being discussed. To be honest, even now we are only really breaking even as opposed to making a loss."

Other plans for the coming year include the holding of an open day to promote the centre and the upgrading of the workshop so that heavier equipment can be bought such as drills, lathes and circular saws.

Army Captain David Coates said in presenting the report: "I am grateful for the support of the management team and the staff for their hard work and dedication in providing a quality service which is renowned throughout the area and beyond as one of the best of it's kind.

"We look to the future in the hope that we can continue to provide an excellent service, continue to meet the needs of the community and adapt to the changing circumstances that we meet."

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