COUNTY Durham community groups are celebrating after their numbers came up on the National Lottery.

Twenty-two organisations, in the Chester-le-Street, Derwentside, Durham, Easington and Sedgefield areas, are sharing £61,824 from the Awards for All programme.

The awards range from a few hundred pounds up to almost £5,000, for a variety of projects.

Bournmoor Residents' Action Group, near Chester-le-Street, is getting £4,994 for an appraisal to raise residents' awareness of local activities.

Oxhill Youth Club, near Stanley, has been awarded £4,419, to improve its table-tennis facilities.

Newton Aycliffe Rugby Football Club's Junior Rugby initiative will use its £4,300 award to provide training for its coaches, buy equipment for its under-14s and under-12s sections, and liaise with local schools.

Pat Lowes, the region's senior awards officer for Awards for All, said: "The difference this funding makes to those groups is enormous.

"We are delighted that we can support these groups and help them achieve their aims."