YOUNGSTERS at Marsden Community School in Nelson are looking forward to using a brand new sports hall after it was announced they would receive £500,000 of government funding.

Headteacher Janet Taylor discovered the school would be receiving a grant from the Space for Sport and Arts (SSA) programme earlier this year but has bmut has only just heard how much.

The next step is to find a start date for when work will begin on constructing the new sports and art hall.

It will be on the site of the former infant school which was pulled down when the infant and juniors merged last year.

Mrs Taylor said: "We applied for a grant with the help of the Lancashire County Council through Sport England and we got to know around Easter that we were going to receive a share of the £1.2 million available but were not told a more specific amount.

"Our application had to be in last August so we have been waiting a long time to hear this. The county council sort out the contractors now we know we have got it so we are waiting for a start date.

"It will include a main sports hall, changing rooms and showers and a small meeting room. At the moment we have 14 classes and only one hall so we are in desperate need of this."

The school underwent a £1million refurbishment to unite the junior and infants school. The work included building two new classrooms above the hall as well as the refurbishment of all eight junior classrooms, the entrance hall and toilets, a new office area and computer suite, a new library and dining room extension.

Mrs Taylor said: "We don't have a lot of space for PE so we are looking forward to getting the new hall."