EIGHTEEN clubs and community projects in and around Ferryhill have shared a £15,000 grants pot.

The money from the 4Together Area Action Partnership (AAP) has boosted a range of initiatives from youth clubs and history projects to training schemes and allotment security.

The AAP gave grants of £200 to £1,000 to schemes that provide activities for children, young people or the elderly or support jobs and training in their area, which also includes Bishop Middleham, Chilton and Cornforth.

Lee Copeland, principal 4Together AAP co-ordinator, said: “It is great we have been able to help fund so many local groups who are all doing such excellent work to support the community.”

The biggest recipients, with £1,000 each, were Bishop Middleham Village Hall towards its 50th anniversary celebrations; Chilton Community College for its junior club; Enter CIC to stage its Home Fires war production; Feel Good Factory NE CIC for a positive thinking course in Ferryhill; Endeavour Woodcrafts to train people with learning disabilities and mental health issues; Friends of Chilton Miners Recreation Park for pavilion security; Mainsforth Row Garden Society for new gates, and an intergenerational First World War project in Cornforth and Ferryhill.

Dadnory, a storytelling course run by Children North East, received £966 for a family worker to deliver the three week course to dads at children’s centres in Ferryhill and West Cornforth.

Young people at Ferryhill ECafe will learn about how a youngster’s life during the First World War differed from today and produce a booklet, with £804 grant.

Ferryhill Town Band will use its £550 grant to engage a top class instructor for a workshop and concert in to improve and enthuse players.

Bowburn Athletic Football Club, which is based at Mainsforth, got £890 towards ground fees and club jackets.

Dean Bank and Ferryhill Literary Institute will update its IT facilities with a £503.96 boost and the Friendship with Art group received £792 to give older people access to different medias of art as a stimulating and social activity.

Young people will benefit from the remaining grants.

A room at Chilton Primary School will be turned into a confidential advice room for Chilton Youth Club with £800, The Cornforth Partnership will use £840.97 for games night equipment designed to get youngsters budgeting, £450 will enable U CRE8 community arts to run steel pans workshops and concerts and West Cornforth Primary School landed £403.07 for its breakfast and teatime club.

The money comes from the area budget allocated to the AAP by Durham County Council.