Community groups in York have been given a £26,000 handout in a massive £700,000 windfall for Yorkshire.

The National Lottery's Awards For All grants will also be shared between Selby, which will get £11,000, Ryedale, which gets £9,000, and Harrogate, with £19,000.

The cash is to be spent on local groups which improve communities through sports, arts and heritage, and other projects which involve local residents.

Senior awards officer Paula Ritchie said: "The main aim of Awards For All is to get people involved in their local community and this makes such a positive impact on people's lives across the region."

In York, the cash will be spent on:

* Vale of York Hang Gliding Club, which will improve its service for disabled people with £5,000

* Dunnington Through the Ages, which gets £4,984 to create an archive of local history

* Knavesmire Out of School Club receives £4,000 which will be spent on refurbishment

* City of York Scout Band will buy new equipment and cover transport costs with £3,308.

* Tang Hall Primary School will use £3,306 to provide basketball facilities

* Ovington Junior Cricket Club gets £1,377 for coaching facilities

* York & District Rugby League Referees Society will spend £1,130 on training equipment

* York and District Rehabilitation Engineering Movement Advisory Panel gets £750 for a conference of northern panels. The group makes devices for disabled people

* Youth Theatre Yorkshire receives £2,100 for a tour around York. In Ryedale, beneficiaries include Thixendale village hall Trust, Wrelton village hall, Huttons Ambo village hall Committee and Heslerton Football Club.

In Selby, money has been given to the Bass Sports Junior Football Club, Thorpe Willoughby Youth Club, Skipwith village hall and Cawood Bowls Club.

Updated: 12:03 Monday, June 18, 2001