Schools and sports organisations across North Yorkshire were celebrating today after bagging more than £340,000 in lottery grants.

Owzat: Celebrating at Lady Lumley's School are (left to right) Steve Merritt, support services manager, Tim Garnley, Becky Hollows, Paul Mann, Ruth Wilson, Simon Taylor and Sean Inman, head of physical education. Picture: Frank Dwyer

The bulk of the Sport England Lottery Fund cash - more than £300,000 - has gone to Lady Lumley's School in Pickering to build a new sports pitch.

But Raskelf Tennis Club, near Easingwold, and South Kilvington Cricket Club, Thirsk, were also winners.

The tennis club bagged a £14,440 grant for improvements to its tennis courts.

The cricket club's £8,875 grant will go towards a new cricket field.

Delighted Lady Lumley's head teacher Norman Corner learned officially yesterday about his school's £317,500 grant.

The school has been planning to build a full-size, floodlit, synthetic turf pitch for three years, and was told about a year ago that its application for funding had been accepted in principle.

But the uncertainty about whether the project could go ahead has only now been finally laid to rest.

Mr Corner revealed that building work would now begin in weeks - and the new pitch could even be in use by the start of the new school term in September.

Mr Corner said: "We already enjoy very good sports facilities, but this will really enhance them.

"This is a lot of money and I'm obviously delighted. It's been a three-year project, so it's been a long time and a lot of hard work for all involved."

Mr Corner said that the facilities would not only be a boost to the school but the sporting community as a whole.

He said: "We expect the local football and hockey clubs to use the new facilities. Hockey and soccer are the obvious sports that will be played on the pitch, but there is scope for other sports, even involving wheelchairs."

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