The Lord Mayor of Bradford paid a visit to a Keighley mental health agency and presented it with £1,000.

The money has gone to Roshni Ghar, which mainly works with women from South Asian backgrounds suffering from mental health problems.

The agency was originally set up to help the women access services and make informed choices. It now also provides health promotion and educational courses.

The Scott Street-based group is one of five of Lord Mayor Councillor Dale Smith’s initial target organisations for donations from his appeal.

He and his wife, Lady Mayoress Margaret Smith, visited Roshni Ghar last Friday morning to meet staff, volunteers and some of the women who use the service.

Coun Smith said: “My time on the Bradford District Care Trust vividly brought home to me the high reputation of the work Roshni Ghar does in the Keighley area, and its involvement with the harder-to-reach communities.”

Dr Najma Siddiqi, a board member at the group, said: “I work in Bradford District Care Trust and our service relies on Roshni Ghar a lot. The work it can do based in the community is something we can’t replicate in statutory services.

“Roshni Ghar sees women who are seriously mentally ill but also sees women who’ve never gone to anyone about mental health problems before, so there’s a preventative role too.”

Service manager Kaniz Akhtar said the agency comprises a very small team of staff and volunteers, but is currently supporting about 90 women.

She and board of directors chairman Dr Fameeda Ansari said they were overwhelmed by the support they had received from the Lord Mayor.

In a joint statement they said: “Roshni Ghar is a vital service in the Keighley area and £1,000 is a significant amount of money. We are truly grateful to the Lord Mayor for selecting us as one of the charities.”

If anyone is interested in making a donation to Coun Smith’s appeal, or can suggest other organisations that could benefit, they should contact the Lord Mayor’s office on (01274) 434965 or e-mail lord.mayor@bradford.gov.uk.