HUNTINGDONSHIRE voters helped Young Lives scoop a �60,000 charity jackpot today (Thursday).

HUNTINGDONSHIRE voters helped Young Lives scoop a �60,000 charity jackpot today (Thursday).

The charity’s “Get Creative, Get Afloat” multimedia barge project was chosen for the funding in a phone vote as part of the Jubilee People’s Millions competition.

Young Lives will purchase a steel barge to create a floating multimedia facility for young people and the wider community. Young people will be involved in the design and development of the project so they can learn new skills and increase their confidence.

The project has been backed by The Hunts Post, with readers encouraged to pick up the phone to help make “Get Creative, Get Afloat” a reality.

The St Ives-based charity was one of six shortlisted projects, which were then put head-to-head to compete for three �60,000 prizes. Young Lives’ opposition, Norfolk Elite Wheelchair Basketball Club, did however have the consolation of receiving �39,600 for polling the most votes of all the losing projects.

The Jubilee People’s Millions is a competition run by the Big Lottery Fund in partnership with ITV and with the approval of Buckingham Palace.

Sara Betsworth, Big Lottery Fund’s head of the east of England region, said the two projects had been “worthy winners”.

She added: “We’ve been so impressed with the strength of community spirit shown, with people getting behind their local project. I look forward to seeing these projects and the difference they will make in their communities when they open in 2012, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee year.”