VOLUNTARY groups across the North-East and North Yorkshire have been awarded more than £1.4m from the Lottery's Community Fund.

Eight groups in the North-East and six from North Yorkshire are among the beneficiaries.

Regional awards committee chairman, professor John Clarke, said: "The grants we are unveiling will help groups tackle deprivation and we are delighted to make them.

"But fewer people are buying Lottery tickets and our income will go down over the next few years.

"We'll have to make some very tough decisions over who to fund."

Among the successful groups is Middlesbrough's Easterside Partnership, which received £151,383 to help regenerate the Easterside housing estate. Lesley James, the group's chairman, said: "We were delighted our bid was successful."

Oliver Foxcroft, chairman of North Yorkshire's Newton On Ouse Playing Field Committee, which was given £37,000, said: "The grant will ensure that children in the local community and surrounding villages will now have a clean and safe environment where they can play and enjoy themselves."

The North-East's other successful applicants were the Derwentside branch of the Alzheimer's Society, which received £131,749; Spennymoor's Learning Library, which was granted £38,593; Newcastle's Thomas Gaughan Community Association, which secured £300,434; Disability North, The Lawnmowers Independent Theatre Company and Mediation in North Tyneside, which received about £250,000 each; and South Tyneside Carers' Association, which received £110, 981.

In North Yorkshire, Scarborough and District Dial-A-Ride gained £69,994, Age Concern Knaresborough and District received £411, 248; Harrogate and District Women's Aid got £111, 248; Castleton Play Area Association got £32,116; and York City Charities received £97,935.