A borough health education and fitness project which helps ethnic minority groups can expand after receiving a £345,000 lottery grant.

The Tandrusti Project, which helps residents across Dudley brorough, has secured £345,457 from the BIG Lottery Fund's Reaching Communities programme.

Tandrusti, which means health and well-being in the main Asian languages, offer health information and advice for ethnic minority communities.

Residents at risk of conditions including diabetes, coronary heart disease, hypertension, osteoporosis and stroke benefit from the project.

Classes take place in community centres across the borough and the service has been running since 2001.

The lottery cash will improve access for adults from minority ethnic backgrounds to health education.

Tandrusti uses a number of areas including community gym, physical activity and medical conditions, heart health and falls prevention.

Pete Caldwell, the Workers' Educational Association (WEA) regional director, said: "We are delighted with the support from the Big Lottery Fund.

"It is recognition for the importance of targeted health education.

"Tandrusti is our flagship health improvement project and we hope it will continue to serve as an example for similar projects throughout the region and indeed the country."

Harjinder Kang, project manager, said: "We want to train existing learners to become Health Champion Volunteers.

"They have experienced the barriers to health education and can provide a good role model and support which will go a long way to reducing disadvantages and exclusion."

For more information on the project call the WEA's Regional Office on 0121 666 6101 or go to www.westmidlands.wea.org.uk/tandrusti.