Two clubs are seeing in the new year with a smile after securing grants of £5,000 each.

Malvern Rugby Club has claimed a victory, thanks to cash from the Award for All Lottery fund.

Club bosses plan to extend the current kitchen and build a dining area to feed the hundreds of young rugby players who practise at the grounds.

The £5,000 windfall will pay for an architect's design fees.

Peter Doran, club chairman, said: "We have so many junior rugby players on a Sunday.

"There are up to 200 kids sometimes. The dining area will be somewhere for them to go after a match."

Mr Doran said that new legislation that does not allow children to be in the current bar, where alcohol is served, has also led to the need for a separate dining area.

"The kids can have a hotdog or something while mum or dad pop to the bar and have a drink."

The cash is a bright start to the new year but only the first step.

The club now faces the task of raising funds to actually start the building work.

Another Worcestershire group secured a £4,998 grant and is heading straight for the digital age.

Stourport Camera Club, which meets every Thursday night at the Methodist Hall in Stourport High Street, plans to buy a computer, digital projector, printer, scanner and new software.

Derek Wilbraham, chairman of the club, said: "Now we can take the club into the 21st Century.

"We want to take photography to other groups, like gardening clubs, schools, or homes for the elderly and we will hold exhibitions."

Mr Wilbraham, who described his interest in photography as a lifelong passion, added that in 18 months, club numbers had gone from 13 to 27.

"Digital has done so much. The ones most interested in it are the ones who have been taking pictures the longest. It is like a new lease of life for them."

Each year, members go on a picturesque holiday.

In February they are heading to the Lake District, hoping to catch some early mists and picture perfect sunrises.

l The Big Lottery Fund is telling other community clubs that now is the time to apply for similar cash boosts.

John Taylor, head of West Midlands Region branch, said: "We have the budget to fund another 500 projects before March next year."

To apply call 0845 6002040.