EDUCATION bosses today expressed delight over a lottery grant for sports projects.

They say it will have 'life-changing' implications on thousands of youngsters.

The Lottery-financed New Opportunities Fund announced it would pump £170,000 into Blackburn with Darwen Council's Sports Co-ordinators scheme.

The aim is to give youngsters the chance to get involved with sport and try out activities which otherwise they would not have had access to. Around 5,000 youngsters should benefit.

Young Asian girls will be particularly targeted, while groups of youngsters who do not mix in school will be encouraged to try sports such as tag rugby.

Ian Kendrick, the borough's assistant director of school improvement, said: "The money, which is spread across three years, will help us to set up projects which target youngsters who don't get involved in sport.

"With the best will in the world, sports provision in school can only include a certain number of activities and it may be that some youngsters are suited to those sports.

"They may, for example, prefer golf or judo, and this money will help us fund schemes which give them a chance to try them out."

The sports co-ordinators work across several schools, so are also able to bring together groups of children who stand to benefit in the same way from sports.