THE Minister for Social Security, Alistair Darling, praised the progress of four initiatives in Warrington on Tuesday when he met representatives at Westy Community Centre.

Mr Darling, who was welcomed by Warrington South MP Helen Southworth, met representatives from Progress Warrington, WASPS, Making Space and Sure Start.

He said: "I'm looking at the various initiatives that the Government set up over the last three to four years. There were many areas of communities that didn't have the same opportunities as everyone else."

Progress Warrington is an initiative set up exclusively in the town in 1999, and is based at Warrington Collegiate Institute, providing affordable white goods for low-income households while training young people on the New Deal.

WASPS is a community business offering childcare for children aged between four and 14.

Making Space works across the north west with people with schizophrenia and their families and operates Workspace, which gives service users the opportunity to find employment, while Sure Start is being set up in Westy to tackle child poverty and social exclusion by offering care and advice for young families before and after the birth of children.

"There is a very good example of childcare facilities in the organisation WASPS, providing 500 childcare places," said Mr Darling.

"The objective of the New Deal and Sure Start is to give every family in this country the best possible start in life, while a scheme like Progress Warrington makes sure people who have never had jobs gain skills as they get into work."