A GOVERNMENT minister visited Lowestoft yesterday (Wednesday) to see the work done by a charity that provides respite for carers in the area.Angela Smith visited the Lowestoft Crossroads charity, which received a �157,000 government loan from the Futurebuilders programme to renovate its new Crossroads Care building in London Road South, which has enabled them to increase the number of days they offer to adults in need of care and to introduce new services to support carers.

A GOVERNMENT minister visited Lowestoft yesterday (Wednesday) to see the work done by a charity that provides respite for carers in the area.

Angela Smith visited the Lowestoft Crossroads charity, which received a �157,000 government loan from the Futurebuilders programme to renovate its new Crossroads Care building in London Road South, which has enabled them to increase the number of days they offer to adults in need of care and to introduce new services to support carers.

The new building was opened in spring last year and has helped the charity to provide a stimulating environment for those being cared for as well as providing carers with the opportunity to take extended breaks and meet others in similar situations.

Earlier she had seen a pioneering scheme to transform a Yarmouth leisure complex and help hundreds of unemployed people find jobs.

As Mrs Smith toured Atlantis complex on Yarmouth seafront she said that a �6.5m project to provide hope for youngsters from the town should be a model for other communities across the country.

The minister for the voluntary, charity and third sector was shown how the new venture to run Atlantis has helped young people build up their confidence and skill sets during a major refit of the complex.

In June a social enterprise organisation Hospitality and Grow took over the running of the site - the first arrangement of its kind in the country.

The non-profit making group is now providing training to 15 people as they work in the complex's new look bars, nightclub and arcades.

In the next year the organisation will be taking on hundreds more young people as Atlantis expands when its 62 bedroom rooftop hotel opens, which will offer some rooms to people with special needs.