A DROITWICH judo club is set to upgrade its ageing equipment after scooping a £5,000 national award.

Top of the range mats will be snapped up by Kodokan Judo Club for its 40 members who start from the age of five years old.

The club which trains twice a week at Cockshute Hill Scout Hut secured the money from financial services company OneFamily as part of its Community Awards.

Tamra Hodgetts put Kodokan Judo Club forward because her son Sebastian trains there.

Chris Turner, club coach and chairperson at Kodokan Judo Club, said: “This money will make a huge difference to our club and our training.

“Campaigning for votes was a real community effort, so it’s lovely to see that our hard work succeeded.

“We can’t thank everyone who supported us enough.”

The club will use the funding to buy 25 specialist mats which will provide better protection for beginners trying new moves and for more experienced members taking on trickier ones.

They will also purchase 25 portable mats so the group can show off their skills at community events. They’re next attending the St Richard’s Festival, Droitwich Spa on Sunday, May 6 where they’ll offer free taster sessions. The awards are part of the OneFamily Foundation and were created to give customers the opportunity to support projects in their area that matter to them and their families.

This year’s awards saw customers nominating projects to win £5,000, £10,000 or £25,000 across four categories.

Guy French, corporate and customer strategy director at OneFamily, said: “Judo is a sport for all ages and abilities, and Kodokan Judo Club Droitwich really proves this. The club brings people of all walks of life together on a weekly basis, building a real community spirit."