GROUPS around the Malvern Hills were celebrating this week after securing grants worth thousands of pounds from the National Lottery.

The Millennium Festival Awards saw groups net between £500 and £5,000.

Maximum grants went to Earls Croome Village Hall to provide disabled access, Hanley Swan Village Hall for heating and replacement windows, Leigh and Bransford Memorial Hall for drainage and levelling of the playing field and Severn Stoke Village Hall towards refurbishment costs.

There was also £4,982 for 1st Leigh Scouts for roof repairs and replacement tents, £4,740 to Malvern Development Education Centre towards to series of community arts workshops and £4,860 to Malvern-based Hereford and Worcester Community Council for a community survey.

Smaller grants have gone to Malvern and Upton Beekeepers (£2,227), Langland Lions Sport Club (£2,000), Earls Croome Parish Map Group (£1,858), Upton Churchroom Playgroup (£1,380), Lower Broadheath Pre-School (£1,280), Broadheath Memorial Hall (£763) and Barnards Green Juniors FC (£651).

There was a second bout of good news for Noah's Ark Trust, which secured £2,821 towards its work providing grief counselling to bereaved children. Last week the BBC's Children in Need provided the charity with a grant of £25,957.

Countywide, there was £4,850 for Worcester and Malvern Women's Aid to set up a 24-hour helpline and £1,700 for Worcestershire Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre to help with volunteer expenses.