TWO community projects in Clacton are celebrating after being handed a massive £700,000 of Lottery funding.

More than £1.4million was handed to seven community projects across Tendring, including Community Voluntary Services Tendring’s (CVST) Healthier Independent Longer Lives (Hill) project and Trinity Methodist Church’s Reaching Out To The Clacton Community scheme.

The money has been raised by players for good causes and is being distributed by the Big Lottery Fund.

The Healthier Independent Longer Lives project, based at CVST’s base in Rosemary Road, has been awarded £395,483.

The cash means the scheme, which has been running for five years, can continue for a further three years.

The project helps local people get more involved in their area in order to reduce loneliness, gain new skills, and improve health and well-being.

CVST chairman Brenda Ellis said: “I am thrilled about the Big Lottery announcement which will enable this successful project to continue.

“Over the past five years, CVST staff and volunteers have launched bereavement and friendship cafes, health walks, art, craft, IT and gardening groups and much more, working with hundreds of people to help them live healthier, independent, longer lives.

“This funding will enable even more people to get involved, start up new groups, become volunteers, get more healthy or learn something new.”

Clacton’s Trinity Methodist Church has been handed £305,671 for its Reaching Out To The Clacton Community project.

The money will help the church’s community hub to provide a community hall, meeting room, social club, children’s play area, bowls club, playing fields and forest classroom in a rural community.

Big Lottery spokesman James Harcourt said: “Great community projects are what National Lottery funding is all about.

“We can see how the money helps to bring ideas to life and gives local people the opportunity to work together for the good of their community.

“We’re proud that our funding supports people who have identified what matters to them and their community and want to make a positive change.”