Two schools have been given thousands of pounds of lottery funding to support children in the community in two very different ways.

The schools are among more than 1,900 projects across England that have been given a boost from National Lottery grants.

At Swaffham Bulbeck Church of England Primary School, £10,000 has been awarded for a project called Shine, to offer therapeutic support in groups and one-to-one sessions for children who have mental health issues or additional needs.

The sessions will include play therapy, art therapy and the use of a local sensory room.

The project will also provide support to vulnerable families by signposting them to other services.

At Little Thetford C of E VC Primary School a soccer skills course has been awarded £8,790.

This project will run a programme of football skills sessions aimed at providing an extra-curricular activity to help tackle isolation and obesity.

James Harcourt, grant making director at the Big Lottery Fund, said: “It is great to think that National Lottery players have now raised £36 billion for good causes.

“It’s when you hear about projects like these that you realise the incredible impact that funding has on communities across England.

“Whether the grant is for £500, or £500,000, our funding is used to run amazing projects led by local people. It really is life changing.”

The local school schemes are just two community projects across the East of England which have benefited from the Big Lottery Fund.

They are among 165 projects in the eastern region sharing more than £4.7million.

Across England, 1,903 projects are sharing in more than £50 million of National Lottery funding through this latest round of investment.

The funding is supporting a diverse range of projects that enable people to improve their skills, meet new people and strengthen their communities.