More than half a million pounds has been raised towards helping people in Norfolk and Waveney suffering with mental health conditions.

On this day last year, we urged readers and businesses to support Norfolk Community Foundation's (NCF) new mental health and wellbeing fund.

Twelve months on and the charity said the response had far exceeded its expectations.

Around £540,000 has been raised through donations from local businesses, charitable trusts and public sector organisations.

Meanwhile, generous EDP and Evening News readers gave £2,000 towards the funding pot.

The fund was established in partnership with our Mental Health Watch campaign, which fights for better care for patients and raises awareness of the problems an increasing number of people are having to cope with.

So far, the charity has used the money to award 108 grants to around 80 different groups in Norfolk.

Funding was given out if a group could demonstrate how its project would help improve people's mental health under five themes.

Sunbeams Play, based on Gapton Hall Road in Great Yarmouth, is one of the groups to have benefited from funding.

The centre, which has helped around 189 young people living with autism, received £5,000 from NCF.

Susan Carr, support co-ordinator, said the money enabled the charity to open a second office to provide a support service for parents.

'We can now offer them one-to-one advice, and teach them to understand their child's needs and condition,' she said.

'We are also now running a behaviour management course.'

Following the success of campaign, NCF said its focus for this year will be to create a new-themed match funding challenge, with the aim of raising £250,000.

The 'Communities that Care' fund will support projects relating to community care provision.

Graham Tuttle, chief executive of NCF, said: 'We see the responsibility of NCF as being not only as a grant making organisation, but to respond to pressing needs by taking a community leadership role that helps to attract more money into the voluntary sector and to support themes like mental health and wellbeing.'