A MAGNIFICENT seven community projects are to receive up to £4,000 each after a public vote.

The successful Seaham-based projects range from summer camps and a local play area to a cricket academy and music and cookery workshops for young people.

They came out top of 16 schemes put forward at a special session at Seaham Youth Centre, organised by East Durham Area Action Partnership (AAP) and Durham Constabulary.

People living, working, volunteering or being educated in the Seaham area, including children over the age of 11, were be able to vote on the projects making the most difference.

The groups were vying for a share of a funding pot which included £10,000 from Durham County Council, £10,000 from central Government under the One Place programme for local neighbourhoods and £6,000 from the neighbourhood budgets of local county councillors.

Priorities for the projects included providing activities for young people, supporting vulnerable people and reducing crime.

Shealagh Pearce, principle AAP co-ordinator, said: “It is good to see local people deciding what they want. These community projects will make a positive contribution to the area."

The East Durham AAP is one of 14 Area Action Partnerships set up by Durham County Council in 2009 to help the authority better engage with residents.

The successful projects were:

• Get Creative in Your Community: a project which offers creative activities for families in the community.

• Camp Champions: an activity week for up to 80 children and young people, aged six to18, run during summer holidays since 2005. The project is part of Dawdon Youth and Community Centre’s Youth Hub and Adventure Club.

• Our Park, Our Area: plans by Deneside Action Group to set up a local play area after a recent Fun Day showed a demand.

• Engaging with Youths Using Sports and Activities: proposals by Deneside Action Group for more activities for young people to reduce anti-social behaviour.

• Volunteers Recruitment, Training and Support: a programme from Home-Start Seaham to train and support volunteers to provide one-to-one home visits to support families with young children experiencing difficult or stressful situations.for families.

• Fun Fridays: workshops and activities at Parkside Community Centre for young people. Supported by youth workers and includes learning to cook and play a musical instrument.

• Seaham Park Cricket Club: development of an Academy of cricket with taster sessions and coaching for boys and girls.

Chief Supt Ivan Wood, head of neighbourhoods and partnerships, Durham Constabulary said: “We have worked closely with the council over the last 12 months to work with residents to improve opportunities in the area. It is great to see the people in Seaham deciding what they would like in their community.”