A SPORTS club in the Ribble Valley has been awarded almost £70,000 of lottery loot in the latest cash hand-outs.

Clitheroe Cricket, Tennis and Bowling Club has received a grant of £69,182 to help with upgrading three tennis courts and changing accommodation.

The money accounts for 85 per cent of the total cost of the face-lift project and has been awarded to the Clitheroe club "in recognition of the benefits the club provides to people living in rural areas".

The total cost of the Clitheroe project is just over £81,000 to improve three tennis courts and provide disabled access toilets.

The club has been established since 1862 and provides sporting facilities for Clitheroe and surrounding districts.

Mr John Coulter from the club has been co-ordinating the lottery bid and he and other club members are delighted with the success of their efforts. The Ribble Valley club is one of just two schemes in the North West to have been targeted in the Lottery Sports Awards under the Sports Council's Priority Areas Initiative this month.

Sheldon Phillips, regional director of the English Sports Council North West, said: "The Sports Council has introduced new criteria to assist organisations in areas of recognised need and these awards demonstrate the Lottery Sports Fund's commitment to reach all levels of the community.

To date, 185 schems have been supported by the Lottery Sports Fund with awards totalling in excess of £46m in the North West region. Mr Coulter said: "We are over the moon with a grant of this size and it makes all the hard work and efforts of the last 12 months worth while.

"Obviously we have to find the rest of the money and we will be holding a few fund-raising functions to try to find another £20,000 to go into the project."

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