PROJECTS in Barnsley benefited from more than £4m of lottery funding last year, new figures show.

The borough received 37 National Lottery grants in 2017 providing a vital boost to arts, sports and heritage projects and community groups.

Station House, a community association based in Thurnscoe, was among those to be helped, receiving £8,977 to deliver workshops for children and young people about physical activity and a healthy diet, managing anger and looking after mental health.

Houghton Main Cricket Club was awarded £9,877 to run evening and holiday cricket and multisport activities for people of all ages in the community and Darton College received £9,215 to put on a series of workshops for young men on the edge of criminality, helping to provide opportunities for disengaged young males to increase their skills and confidence with the aim of deterring them from making negative decisions.

Other given a cash boost included £194,494 to DIAL to pay for a project to deliver peer-led advice and guidance for local disabled people; Barnsley Beacon Support Services was handed £10k to extend its support services for family members dependent on drugs or alcohol as well as introducing a new support service for carers of family members with dementia.

Plus Me, which supports people living with or affected by HIV, was given £195,530 for a project to break the cycle of isolation by bringing people from the HIV and other Blood Borne Viruses communities together to build up mutual support and friendships.

These, and any organisation that has ever received National Lottery funding, now have the possibility of gaining nationwide acclaim by entering The National Lottery Awards 2018 - the annual search for the country’s favourite Lottery-funded projects.

National Lottery Awards winners’ will receive a £5,000 and national recognition at a ceremony broadcast on BBC One later in the year.

Projects can be nominated in seven categories: arts, education, environment, health, heritage, sport and voluntary/charity.

To enter tweet @LottoGoodCauses or call 020 7293 3599. Entries must be received by midnight on April 6.