A mental health charity could lose vital National Lottery cash if it cannot find a new home in the next few months.

Shoreham and District Mental Health Association needs at least £500,000 to move to a new base but has been struggling to find a suitable location.

Fund-raisers have been promised cash from the lottery but the money will only be released when the charity finds a suitable premises.

The organisation, which helps more than 100 people aged between 16 and 65, has been based at the Old School House in Ham Road for more than 21 years which it leases from Adur District Council for a peppercorn rent.

However, so many people need the charity's support that it has outgrown the building and wants to move out so it can expand its services.

Project co-ordinator Pauline Russell said: "It has been difficult to find anywhere suitable in Shoreham.

"We need a largish and preferably detached building that can be converted into a day centre and, unfortunately, nothing has come through that we could realistically afford. We are continuing our fund-raising campaign and have had a tremendous amount of support from people organising coffee mornings, taking part in fun runs and sponsored bike rides.

"We are also focussing our efforts on finding a place and we are beginning to consider looking a little further afield towards Southwick."

One of those helping with the fund-raising is Mark Langdale, a volunteer at the association's day centre for three years, who is doing his bit to generate as much money as possible.

He is about to finish a challenge he set himself to finish three treks in a year.

So far he has spent 18 days trekking to Everest Base Camp in Nepal and nine days making his way to the summit of Kilimanjaro in Africa.

The third trek, which takes place later this month, is a three-day trip through the jungles and mountains of Ecuador.

To help the fund-raising campaign, call 01273 465150.