DOZENS of community projects across the region are celebrating winning a share in a £1.8m Lottery windfall.

Forty-eight projects in the North-East have been awarded a total of £1.68m from the Big Lottery Fund, while nine North Yorkshire schemes will share nearly £100,000.

One of the biggest winners is Cornsay Parish Council, County Durham, which has landed nearly £500,000 to demolish and rebuild Hamsteels Community Centre, Esh Winning.

Gateway Wheelers, based in Chester-le-Street and Darlington, has secured nearly £300,000 to help people with learning and physical disabilities get cycling, while Northumberland Domestic Abuse Service, formerly Sixty Eighty Thirty, has received the region’s biggest grant - £493,517 to continue its free, confidential service for women.

In North Yorkshire, the grants were smaller. The biggest winner was A4A Cliffe Village Green Project, which secured £10,000 to create a park.

Lyn Cole, the England grant-making director at the Big Lottery Fund, said: “It’s great to see these community groups coming together to make a difference to the lives of local people.”

She added: “The valuable work of these leading charities and community groups is helping make a difference to the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in our society.”

Cestria Primary School in Chester-le-Street was awarded £10,000 to create a ‘Nessy’ play area; Agnew Community Association in Newton Aycliffe will get £8,900 to refurbish its community centre and create a sensory garden; and Times In Times Out of Spennymoor will get £1,395 to run bingo sessions and trips for old people.

St Wilfrid’s Community Centre in Ripon has been awarded £9,958 for refurbishment and Kirkby Fleetham Church of England Primary School near Northallerton will get £9,930 to establish a parent and toddler group.

The National Lottery has raised £33bn since it was founded in 1994 and 450,000 grants have been awarded.

The awards announced today (Tuesday, August 11) are from the Big Lottery Fund’s Awards for All and Reaching Communities programmes. Awards for All makes grants of £300 to £10,000, while Reaching Communities makes grants of more than £10,000 for longer-term projects.

For more information on the Big Lottery Fund, the money available and how to apply, visit biglotteryfund.org.uk/funding

* For a list of the projects awarded lottery cash across the North-East and North Yorkshire visit www.thenorthernecho.co.uk

Gateway Wheelers, Chester-le-Street; Wheely Fantastic Cycling, £297,004

Cornsay Parish Council, Durham; Hamsteels Community Centre, £483,348

Northumberland Domestic Abuse Service, Hexham; £493,517

The Linskill and North Tyneside Community Development Trust, North Shields; Building Community, Improving Lives, £33,335

Pentland Primary School, Billingham; Fun in the Sun, £10,000

New Delaval and Newsham Residents Association, Blyth; £7,029

Cestria Primary School, Chester-le-Street; Nessy Play Area, £10,000

Krazee Krafters, Cramlington; Seghill Krazee Krafters, £9,310

Burradon and Camperdown Forum, Cramlington; £3,500

20th Durham City Scout Group, Waterhouses; £4,085

The Artrium, Hartlepool; customer care volunteers, £9,380

Dilly Arts, Hexham; Allendale Festival of Movement, £6,100

Gateway North East, Houghton-le-Spring; Focus Project, £10,000

Hedworthfield Community Association, Jarrow; Community Kitchen, £9,952

Low Simonside Community Association, Jarrow; Comfy in the Community, £8,657

Northumbria Blood Bikes, Morphet, £10,000

AIM Dance Group CIC, Newcastle, £8,875

The Caddy Shacks, Newcastle; Busy not Bored, £9,989

Recovery Advocates North East, Newcastle; Making addiction recovery a reality, £10,000

Rookie Sports Ltd, Newcastle; Stepping Stones to Better Health, £9,978

North East Child Poverty Trust, Newcastle; £10,000

First Aid Support and Training, Newcastle; £3,973

Byker Community Association, Newcastle; Byker Gay Man’s Support Group, £8,165

Get Mindfuel CIC, Newcastle; £10,000

Seaton Burn College, Newcastle; Wellbeing, £10,000

The Key, Newcastle; Keyed In... to be awesome, £9,950

Workers’ Educational Association Green Branch, Newcastle; social enterprise in Walker, £9,910

Denton Youth and Community Project, Newcastle; £9,991

Newton Aycliffe Youth and Community Centre; £2,000

Agnew Community Association, Newton Aycliffe; £8,900

Cotsford Junior School, Peterlee; Cotsford Dance Mat Clyb, £9,900

Friends of Prudhoe Woods, Prudhoe; £9,950

Redcar Development Trust; Generation Connect, £8,040

Moorsholm in Bloom, Saltburn; Repair, Replace, Refresh, £5,758

Badger Hill Primary School, Saltburn; Tuned In, £9,955

Hummersea Primary School, Saltburn; Getting Digital, £10,000

Saltburn Primary School, Saltburn; Early Years Outdoor Learning Area, £10,000

Hawthorn Community Centre, Seaham; Help for Hawthorn, £9,950

Charles Young Centre, South Shields; £8,923

North East Maritime Trust, South Shields; £9,934

South Tyneside Training and Enterprise Network, South Shields; ICT for beginners workshops, £9,360

Ocean Road Community Association, South Shields; Young People Here and Now, £9,945

Brinkburn Community Association, South Shields; Brinkburn Showcase Community Event, £5,800

Times In Times Out, Spennymoor; £1,395

Keep the Dream Alive, Stockton; multi-purpose hall refurbish, £10,000

Little Sprouts Catering CIC, Stockton; £9,970

Sanstreet Youth and Community Centre, Sunderland; ICT support suite, £6,443

Whitley Bay High School; £9,976

York and District Citizens Advice Bureau; £9,960

Greatwood Community Primary School, Skipton; £9,900

St Wilfrid’s Community Centre, Ripon; £9,958

West Heslerton CE VA Primary School, Malton; £9,969

Poppleton Road Memorial Hall and Social Centre, York; stage and speaker upgrades, £9,992

Tang Hall Community Centre, York; £9,750

Cliffe Parish Council, Selby; Cliffe Village Green Project, £10,000

Knavesmire Primary School, York; garden and nature centre, £9,931

Kirkby Fleetham CE Primary School, Northallerton; parent and toddler/baby group, £9,930