TEN societies from East Lancashire have been awarded more than £36,000 by the Millennium Experience Company.

Rossendale has been the luckiest area with five groups benefiting from the Millennium Festival Award scheme.

Amateur musicians will be offered the chance to participate in masterclass workshops with professionals from Goodshaw Band thanks to a £3,150.

A £4,940 grant will pay for the hire of rehearsal space, administration, marketing publicity, equipment and materials for the Physico Theatre, Rossendale.

The Bacup Amateur Swimming and Life Saving Club will receive £4,861 to buy life-saving equipment, swimming instruction equipment and pay for both an amateur swimming association teachers' course and a national pool lifeguard course.

Haslingden Amateur Swimming Club has been awarded £2,755 to pay for 12 members of the club to attend a lifeguard course and an assistant teaching course.

And Rawtenstall Swimming Club has won £3,907 to buy starting blocks, back stroke poles, flags, flippers and notice boards as well as sending volunteers on a teaching course. In the Ribble Valley, the Chipping and District Memorial Hall has benefited to the tune of £4,554 to pay for badminton courts, changing room lockers and indoor bowling and table tennis equipment.

The Leyland Motors Hockey Club has won £2,113 for new kit and equipment.

And St Mary's Community Pre School has won £2,000 to help buy play equipment and fencing to enclose the outdoor play area.

The All Saints Grange Bowling Club in Clayton le Moors, has been awarded £1,820 to pay for the connection and installation of an electricity supply.

Nelson Ladies Hockey Club has received £1,582 for a full set of goalkeeping equipment, the hire of a goal keeping coach, pitch hire and training for coaches.

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