NINE organisations, ranging from schools to a rifle club, are celebrating after scooping windfalls from the National Lottery.

The nine, from across the Hambleton district, have been awarded a total of £37,848 from the Awards for All scheme.

They include the University of the Third Age (U3A), Northallerton, which has been awarded £4,981.

The group provides educational opportunities for older people and will use the award to raise awareness of its work and encourage new members to join.

The Methodist Church at Hutton Rudby has been awarded £3,390. It runs a computer club for young people aged ten to 14 and the money will help buy equipment to help cater for an expanding age range and growing numbers.

Other awards include: £715 for the Workcrafts/Workskill Drop-In Centre, Northallerton, to expand and improve sewing classes; and £5,000 for Thornton-le-Street and North Kilvington village hall, to refurbish the kitchen into a larger more modern area.

Crakehall with Langthorne Parish Council will receive £5,000 to provide play equipment for a scheme which offers children in the parish a separate safe play environment; and the Stepping Stones Playgroup, Stokesley, gets £4,865 to develop an all-weather play area for the children, to enable the children to play outside throughout the year.

Kirkby Fleetham CE Primary School receives £4,754 to work with parents, after-school clubs and members of the local community to celebrate its 150th anniversary by producing an outdoor and indoor commemorative mosaic.

Easingwold Rifle Club is awarded £4,543 to buy clothing and equipment suitable for young people; and Hutton Rudby village hall and recreation ground gets £4,600.

The village hall is in the process of being rebuilt following a structural failure and the money will be used to provide shelving which can be used for storage and staging by all users of the hall.