A training scheme for people with learning disabilities in Carmarthenshire has been named one of the best charity projects in the country.

Fix and Shift Training has reached the final six of the prestigious National Lottery Awards, beating off 1,300 rival organisations to reach the public voting stage in this year’s contest.

The project with the most votes will receive a £5,000 cash prize to spend on their project, an iconic National Lottery Awards trophy, and attend a star-studded glittering awards ceremony to be broadcast on BBC One in September.

Fix and Shift Training (FAST) began life when Ferryside resident Dave Williams heard of a vulnerable adult who had sat in the dark for days because he had never been shown how to change a lightbulb, and had no one to ask for help.

Dave decided to set up the project to teach vulnerable and disabled adults basic home and DIY skills.

The community project now provides training for vulnerable adults across the county.

Those who complete the training then offer their skills to help others, providing a range of services from gardening, decorating, fitting smoke alarms, assembling flat pack furniture, to changing light bulbs for pensioners.

National Lottery funding has ensured vulnerable people have gained access to the training and guides them towards employment, with volunteers creating a Job Club to help each find work.

Sarah Phillips from Commodum Ltd, the social enterprise set up to oversee the project, said: “We are delighted that Fix and Shift Training has reached the final public voting round.

“Fix and Shift Training is a DIY service run for vulnerable people by vulnerable people. This public recognition is a real boost for our trainees, who work so hard to help others.

“It would mean so much to them to win this award, so I’m asking the public to continue to support this project by voting for us as the UK’s best Voluntary/Charity project in the National Lottery Awards.”

National Lottery Awards spokesman, Jackie O’Sullivan, said: “Fix and Shift Training has worked very hard to become a finalist and they now need your support - get voting!”

To vote for Fix and Shift Training, visit lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/awards or telephone 0844 836 9713. Voting runs for four weeks from 9am on 29 June until midnight on July 27.