A RAFT of charities and community projects across Worcestershire have been awarded a share of a £1.7 million pot of funding.

The Big Lottery Fund this week announced it had made 204 grants as part of its Awards for All scheme, with some organisations receiving up to £10,000.

One of the projects in Worcestershire to benefit from the grants is Droitwich Spa and Rural Council for Voluntary Service, which provides support and resources for voluntary and community groups as well as individuals, which was handed £8,387.

Projects manager Pauline Yardley said she was "really pleased" they had been awarded the cash.

“We are using the money to run information courses for people and organisations involved in volunteering,” she said.

“We have done a bit of this before which has gone quite well but this is more of an extension.”

Another project to benefit from the grants is the Bridge Education Centre in Hanley Swan, which has been handed £9,932.

The centre offers accredited courses in practical subjects such as animal care and construction to children and young people referred by the county's social service and secondary schools.

Neil Hornby from the organisation said: "Our construction trainees have enjoyed getting involved in building the extension including carpentry, plastering and painting and will now see it completed with the equipment we can purchase with the lottery award."

Other organisations in Worcestershire awarded grants:

• Callow End Village Hall has been handed £10,000 to replace its roof.

• Crowle Parish Council has been given £410 for a new projector.

• Defford cum Besford First School Friends has been given £10,000 to convert a disused staff room into a community hub.

• Great Witley Village Hall has been awarded £10,000 to provide new disabled toilet facilities.

• Grimley and Holt CE Primary School has been given £10,000 to refurbish its toilets and provide disabled toilet facilities. A community organisation has also been handed another £10,000 to renovate the school’s playground.

• Himleton Parish Hall has been given £4,800 to be used to rebuild a toilet and re-roof part of the hall.

• Inkberrow First School has been awarded £10,000 for new IT equipment and community training.

• The Littleton Village Hall has been awarded £10,000 to replace its existing wooden flooring.

• Martley Parish Memorial Hall has been given £10,000 to install a new kitchen.

• Mentor Link, a Stourport-based charity supporting children and young people going through difficult times, has been given £10,000 to provide a one-on-one mentoring support service in Kidderminster and Redditch for young people in care or not in work, education or training.

• Reaction Theatre Makers, a performing arts organisation based in Malvern, has been given £9,580 to be used to deliver theatre sessions for people with learning difficulties.

• St Mary’s Catholic Primary School in Evesham has been awarded £4,303 which will be used to create an outdoor road safety classroom in its playground, which is beside a busy road.

• Yellow Scarf, a community project helping homeless people and those with alcohol problems in Worcester and Evesham, with a specific focus on Eastern European immigrants, has been handed £8,737.