A BOLTON organisation which has evolved into a unique training provider for the disadvantaged is in line for a top award.

Dorothy Martland, voluntary Project Manager with DBBC@Bolton Market Radio, is in the semi-finals of the T-Mobile and Sunday Express Women Mean Business Awards.

The competition aims to acknowledge the growing importance of top women entrepreneurs and female-led enterprises.

DBBC -- Diversity in Barrier-Breaking Communications -- is a training agency for a range of people with problems and has reached the last 20 out of 200 in the competition.

At any one time Mrs Martland and her 20 volunteers can be dealing with between 30 and 40 people who need help with confidence-building.

They include referrals from Social Services and New Deal, pupils who do not attend school, special needs teenagers, battered wives and asylum seekers.

The organisation is based in the Ashburner Street markets complex. It offers training in broadcasting and sound production in the studio which supplies programmes to entertain Saturday shoppers, and develops material for DBBC road shows at events such as the Bolton and Westhoughton Shows.

Mrs Martland is a former Head of Year at Smithills School who was forced to give up her career nine years ago when she was diagnosed with painful Fibromyalgia, an arthritic condition which affects the muscles.

About six years ago she volunteered to work at the former Radio Bolton station and later became involved in Variety Gold FM, an organisation which applied unsuccessfully for a licence to broadcast in Bolton.

Bolton Market Radio, which was started by Variety Gold, became the focus for DBBC when it was formed in 1999.

Mrs Martland and her supporters have created an organisation which is clearly fulfilling a useful social function and is unlike any other in the country.

She is happy to be "an agony aunt" for people who appreciate a friendly environment -- those helped also learn office and social skills.

"When they come they are treated as equals and they are valued," she said. "Everyone needs someone to help them and they get it here."

Selection for the semi-finals of the competition -- winners will be chosen from 10 finalists in London on September 3 -- raises hopes that they could share some of the £50,000 prize money on offer. Mrs Martland says she was "gobsmacked" to learn that DBBC had got so far in a competition which is clearly business-orientated.

DBBC gets its funding from a variety of sources, including the education authority. It costs about £40,000 a year to run and is always on the lookout for extra financial support. Anybody wanting to support the organisation can contact Mrs Martland on 01204 373107.