WORCESTERSHIRE Saints have received a boost with the news that they have been given a grant by The Millennium Festival Awards For All programme at their awards ceremony that took place at the Edgbaston Indoor Cricket Centre last night.

The scheme has given £1.8m to various sports clubs and Saints collected nearly £2,500 to help set-up a youth structure.

Secretary Georgie Pickett said the cash injection would be a great help.

"We applied for this grant to kit out an under 15 and under 13 side, and it will help cover the expenses of our youth development officer, Neil Gulliver."

Gulliver, who plays for the club's senior side, is hoping to tour schools in the area with a view to increasing awareness of the sport in Worcestershire.

"We can only use the money to create a youth system but within that we hope to fund a couple of fully qualified referees to take charge of the youth games," said Pickett.

"The aim will be for sides at all age groups to be set up in the next two to three years, with the oldest junior side eventually providing players for our first team."