A windfall of £100,000 has been received by The Roses theatre in Tewkesbury.

The money comes from the Arts Council, Heritage Lottery Fund and Lincoln Group and will secure future of the youth and community department for the next two years.

The Arts Council's Grant for the Arts programme has given £50,000, which will enable the theatre to develop its work with young offenders and the travelling community.

It will also fund a schedule of work including projects with young offenders, local schools and the older generation in Gloucestershire.

A further £45,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund will allow The Roses, in conjunction with Fairgame Theatre Company, to create, develop and stage a play focusing on the rich heritage of the lives of show people and the story behind the town's mop fair. The play will tour schools and community venues in 2007.

In addition, The Lincoln Group, a national finance company that has supported the theatre for the past eight years, has donated £5,500 to support outreach activities, aiding in the continuation of the youth theatre and workshops aimed at younger and older people.

Ruth Wells, youth and community director at The Roses said: "As a department we are reliant on external funding, which is why we are absolutely thrilled to receive these awards.

"They will enable us to continue and develop the projects we undertake with so many different sectors of our local community.

"We're delighted to have been successful. The Lincoln Group have supported us for a good few years and, although funding is never expected, we're just pleased they have decided to continue with their support."