Improvements to village halls and sports clubs and equipment for 10 new first-responder volunteers will be made possible thanks to the latest round of Big Society Fund (BSF) grants worth £66,000.

The North Norfolk District Council fund is giving North Walsham Play £10,502 for play equipment, North Walsham Rugby Football Club £10,000 towards a lift for its clubhouse and Stalham Town Hall £9,000 to repoint walls.

Aldborough Gardening Club is getting £2,500 to develop a community allotment garden, Kettlestone Village Hall will get £4,318 to remove asbestos, Ludham Parish Council is to get £10,000 for new play equipment and Stalham's St Mary's Bowls Club is getting £7,500 to build a second clubhouse. The council is also giving £914 to Stiffkey Social Services Committee for cricket practice nets, £1,652 to Suffield Village Hall and £10,000 to Stalham and Smallburgh First Responders for new equipment.

John Lee, the council's leader and chairman of the BSF panel, said: 'The fund continues to help a wide range of communities across north Norfolk improve their facilities, and we are delighted to be able to announce these latest grants.

'I would encourage other groups from across our towns and villages to consider applying for future grants.

'The team that looks after BSF applications can help with pre-application advice and guidance.'

Since the fund started in 2012, NNDC has awarded more than £1.6m to 213 community projects.

Complete applications to be submitted to the June panel need to be received by May 14.

For more information about the application process, visit www.north-norfolk.gov.uk/tasks/big-society-fund/big-society-fund-details or contact the BSF team on 01263 516173 or 01263 516248.