SANDRA Summerbell and her daughter, Emily, are celebrating buying their own home, thanks to a Government funding scheme.

They got a Homebuy grant from the Three Rivers Housing Group to buy a property in Durham.

The money, given to the group by the Housing Corporation, helps people on limited incomes in council or housing association homes to buy a home. The grant covers 25 per cent of the cost.

Last year, the group was given £110,000, which funded ten purchases, and it hopes to win more funding this year.

Ms Summerbell said: "We are pleased to be in the position of owning our own home, especially in an area where we are close to our relatives and my daughter's school.

"Overall, the application process was quite easy to follow and it did not take too long to complete."

Andrea Beeson, the group's home ownership officer, said: "Not many people have considered applying for these grants in the past because they were not as widely publicised as other mainstream financial packages.

"They can go a long way in helping people who currently rent and are on a limited income to take their first step towards owning their own home."