9 December 2005, Walthamstow: Lucky Walthamstow resident, Claire Tansley, has won £50 worth of beauty treatment at Uplands House College Hair and Beauty Academy, part of Waltham Forest College, thanks to New Opportunities for Walthamstow (NOW).

Claire is one of the 2,200 people who visited NOW's new website (www.walthamstownow.co.uk) since it launched. The NOW site details how the £56m regeneration scheme is benefiting local people and business via the projects it funds. Clare was randomly picked from over 100 people who signed up to receive NOW news.

Claire Tansley said: "I signed up to the site so I could receive regular updates about the NOW projects happening in my area and how I might get involved. I knew I was in with a chance of winning the beauty treatment but was really surprised when I got the call telling me I had won. I can't wait to redeem my voucher, perhaps I'll try a new look for the New Year!"

The NOW website was launched in August to provide local people with a one-stop-shop on all NOW information and the NOW projects supporting local people, community groups and businesses in the Walthamstow and Leyton area.

Guy Davis Chair New Opportunities for Walthamstow said: "We are very pleased with the success of the site, it's great that so many people have signed up. This year NOW is investing £850,000 in the community, which includes creating over 180 jobs and over 300 people training to receive qualifications. We ran the competition as an added bonus to those signing up and the response has been fantastic. I hope Claire really enjoys her make over at Uplands House."

Uplands House College was one of the projects to receive NOW funding, transforming a derelict building into a thriving and vibrant community college where hundreds of people each week study for higher education or vocational qualifications.

Fifty students a month study to become qualified hairdressers and beauticians and take National Vocational Qualifications one, two and three. The students run a salon as part of their training, which is open to the public and provides a range of professional hair and beauty treatments at low cost.

Colin Granger Uplands House Centre Manager said: "Uplands House College was made possible by £545,875 of NOW funding. Over 600 students use the college every week and 50 students a month study for hair and beauty qualifications, none of this would have been possible without NOW. I'm glad we could be involved in the NOW website prize, the winner will be in for a treat!"

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