A service to help neighbours in Swindon sort out disputes and disagreements has been launched, thanks to a grant of £197,895 by the National Lottery Charities Board.

The money will enable newly set up voluntary organisation Community Mediation Swindon help people find new and different ways to sort out conflicts and disagreements with their neighbours.

"We could not have achieved this award without the help and support of local organisations and individuals who have contributed in so many ways," said group secretary Jane Lewis. "We know that neighbour disputes are on the increase locally. We also know that small problems can escalate into full-scale disputes if not resolved quickly. Sometimes an informal approach by a neutral third party will help to resolve conflict more satisfactorily than resorting to expensive and acrimonious legal disputes," she said.

The group, made up of members of the voluntary sector, Swindon Council's housing department and the police, has been working for the past two years to set the project up. The award means that a co-ordinator can be employed to run the project, which will involve the recruitment and training of volunteers.

Group chairman Laurence Yeoman said, "we are currently looking for volunteers to go through our accredited training course so that the service can be up and running early in the new year. We shall be selecting sixteen people who have the potential to work as mediators."

For details, write to Community Mediation Swindon, 1 Regent Circus, Swindon SN1 1PN.