PLANS for a seafront water sports centre have been given a boost by Sport England.

The sports development agency is giving £719,074 of National Lottery money to the £1m project near Sunderland Marina.

The Sunderland Marine Activities Centre, a club and charity, was set up in 1997 and is operating in small premises nearby.

The scheme will enable it to expand and offer a wider range of facilities for sports such as kayaking and waterskiing.

The new centre will be a two-storey building with 750 sq m of space.

It will provide training and specialist equipment, a dinghy park and a low ropes course area.

The facilities will be used by Sunderland University teams, local schools and the community and the club hopes it will attract youngsters from run-down areas of the city to water sports.

Further funding is coming from Sunderland University, Sunderland City Council and the former Sunderland City Training and Enterprise Council.

Judith Rasmussen, regional director of Sport England, said: "It is always a pleasure to see a local sports club receive money when it has such a commitment to encouraging young people and providing sporting opportunities in the community.

"The new centre will play a major role in the economic regeneration of Sunderland."

Centre director Pat Murray said: "This Sport England award is obviously excellent news for the club.

"It recognises both the good work in developing watersports in the Sunderland area that the Marine Activities Centre (Mac) has done since it was established in 1997, and the untapped potential for further development that still exists.

"In less than 12 months we will have facilities which will give even professional clubs a run for their money.

"The centre and the charity will provide initial training and access to equipment, and support in the future, removing the barriers that have traditionally kept people away from water sports."

Construction work will start at the end of next month and the centre will open in the Spring.