Manchester’s Jewish Youth Project is to shut down with redundancies for its director and administrator after a £415,000 lottery funding bid was unsuccessful.

Known as The Project, it has, since 1994, provided support for youth groups, leadership training and counselling on issues such as bullying and drugs. Funded mainly via grants, it lost its then lottery backing two years ago. A local Jewish trust fund stepped in with support.

Project chair Peter Broude explained: “We’ve been applying for various grants over the last few months and living from hand to mouth. If a benefactor came along we would see how we could move forward, but it would be unfair to keep staff hanging on.”

Director Sharon Bannister says The Project would have expanded. “Our plans would have meant new drama, music, sport and interfaith programmes.”