A charity that plans to bring a building on a historic estate back to life has been awarded more than £1 million.

Terapia, which is based in Watford Way, Hendon, has been given the money by the Heritage Lottery Fund to create a new centre providing child psychology in The Bothy, at Stephens House in East End Road.

The Grade II-listed building has been placed on English Heritage's ‘at risk’ register and the £1,012,000 figure means the charity now has enough money to begin work.

The charity plans to offer free mental health services while bringing the building in the house's garden back into use.

But it will only receive the cash if it can raise an extra £900,000 on its own – something Bozena Merrick, clinical director and chief executive of Terapia, hopes to achieve.

Although she remained tight-lipped over how much money has already been raised, she is confident the figure will be reached.

She said: “It’s going to make a huge difference to have an accessible service for children and teenagers right in the heart of Barnet."

Work is due to begin in the spring of 2016 and in the meantime, remedial work to the structure of the building will be carried out.

Terapia’s The Bothy Charity shop, in High Street, North Finchley, is also raising money to help support the cause.

The Heritage Lottery Fund’s Heritage Enterprise grants funds the vital repairs and conservation work needed to convert derelict, vacant and historic buildings into new, usable spaces.

Ben Greener, the fund's historic environment advisor, said “Historic buildings are inspirational spaces and our research shows they are the very places where enterprise thrives.

“However, once they have fallen out of use the high cost of restoration makes them commercially unattractive and they become at risk of spiralling into decline.

“With Heritage Enterprise, HLF is stepping in – making them fit for purpose, attractive for investment and secure for the future.”