SPORTS clubs will be lent a helping hand with innovative projects to boost numbers taking part, after St Helens Council secured £250,000 of National Lottery funding.

The sports development team is among 88 projects to receive a share of £15m of funding to support grass roots sport across the country.

The money, from Sport England’s community sport activation fund, will aim to develop new programmes to increase participation among 14 to 25-year-olds.

Gemma Webster, St Helens project manager, said: “It will allow us to support our clubs to develop their sports provision, offering a wider variety of activities, providing more flexibility and with opportunities for families to get into sport and keep them coming back for more.”