PEOPLE in Stirling are being urged to cast an online vote for a local charity.

Stirling Carers Centre is in the finals for the 25th Birthday National Lottery Awards, having beaten off stiff competition from more than 700 organisations.

Stirling Carers Centre is competing to win in the Best Community and Charity Project category.

The centre helps unpaid carers, aged from seven years onwards, with emotional support, financial and benefits advice, and short break opportunities.

Kathryn Cooper, funding development officer, said: “It is a great honour for Stirling Carers Centre to have reached the finals of the 25th Birthday National Lottery Awards.

“With the help of National Lottery funding, Stirling Carers Centre aims to make a positive difference to unpaid carers lives, by enabling them to feel a part of society, giving them a voice, helping them be less isolated and improving overall health and wellbeing.

“It would mean so much to the whole organisation and those we support to win this award and we would urge the public to get behind us in our quest to be named the Best Community and Charity project.”

Jonathan Tuchner, from the National Lottery, added: “It’s thanks to National Lottery players, who raise more than £30 million each week for good causes, that brilliant projects like those in the finals of the National Lottery Awards are possible.

“The projects are doing an incredible job in their local community and the work they do is hugely impressive. They thoroughly deserve to be in the finals of the 25th Birthday National Lottery Awards and with your support they could be winners.”

Visit lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/awards to vote or use #NLAStirlingCarers on Twitter.