Drop-in centres offering a range of health promotion schemes have been given a cash boost by the National Lottery.

Grants worth more than �5.5m have been awarded to seven projects in some of the most deprived areas of Wales.

Grants awarded to:

Wrexham - �844,554 Torfaen - �1,000,000 Blaenau Gwent - �996,775 Rhondda Cynon Taff - �863,089 Caerphilly - �508,067 Corwen - �693,492 Countryside Council for Wales - �669,445

The money was allocated to promote healthy living in the communities of Wrexham, Torfaen, Blaenau Gwent, Rhondda Cynon Taff, Caerphilly and Denbighshire.

The Countryside Council for Wales also received an award to promote regular and brisk walking among 80,000 inactive people across Wales with 20 local walking schemes.

The money will be used to build Healthy Living Centres (HLCs) - aimed at improving health and well-being in areas with high levels of poverty and deprivation.

Despite health being the unifying scheme, the projects vary from walking schemes and gardening projects to befriending services for the mentally ill.

The aim is to enable people who use the centres to improve their lifestyle and consequently their health.

Lifestyle issues

Centres across the UK offer advice on healthy eating, exercise, stress and money management, counselling and support groups.

Claire Thomas has taken part in several courses

They can provide information on lifestyle issues such as sexual health and substance misuse and diet and oral health care.

Many have childcare provisions and offer family activities, parenting skills classes. There are facilities for adults with learning difficulties.

One project which benefited from an earlier grant award is a HLC in Ystradgynlais in the Swansea Valley.

The centre offers a child care provision so parents can take part in education courses and other well-being schemes.

Health facts from the Welsh Assembly

Deprived parts have a 25% higher death rate Smoking is the largest cause of preventable ill health and death Life expectancy for men is 74.8 years Life expectancy for women is 79.7 years

Claire Thomas believes the centre offers people the chance to change their lives.

"There are a lot of benefits - it will give you the opportunities to broaden your horizons.

"It's more than health - its more to do with your mind and what you can do with it.

"There are people here who really believe in you," she added.

Successful bids

The New Opportunities Fund - set up to distribute lottery funding - awarded the cash following successful bids by the projects.

Childcare provisions available at HLCs

The fund aims to gives money to health, education and environment projects in order to create a core network of HLCs and activities across the UK.

Tom Davies, board member for the fund, was impressed with the level of the bids.

"These are marvellous projects for communities which show a need for these kinds of schemes.

"This funding will improve the social and physical well-being of the people who live in these areas," he added.

Wednesday's announcement that seven projects were being awarded money has brought the total number of HLCs in Wales which have benefited from the grants to 28.

The fund has �19.5m to spend on these projects over a two year period - �18m has already been distributed.