COMMUNITIES and groups across South Lakeland have been awarded grants of more than £63,000.

The money has come from Cumbria County Council's South Lakeland Local Committee, which met to agree the grants on Friday.

Each councillor is allowed a £10k pot of money each year to spend on projects that will benefit their local community.

Cllr Geoff Cook, Chair of South Lakeland Local Committee and councillor for Kendal Highgate, said: "The Local Member Scheme can help make a difference to local communities.

"It's a good example of how county councillors are working with local people to deliver projects and priorities.

"As a local committee we recognise the valuable contribution these projects make to our communities and I'm pleased we can support them."

Totalling £63,720, the grants include:

- £4,000 towards a snow plough in the High Furness division

- £6,750 to support the cost of gully clearing and jetting works to help with drainage issues in the Upper Kent division

- £11,750 in Kendal Highgate for help with the upgrading of a footpath on Blackhall Road and the relocation of bus shelters

- £12,000 to support highways works including brushwood cutting, sweeping and pothole repairs in the Lyth Valley division.

- £5,000 to help fund a village agent in the Upper Kent area.

- £4,935 from the Lakes division for new play equipment in Grasmere for the children's play area.

- £4,000 for the refurbishment of the Jingling Lane public toilets in Kirkby Lonsdale from the Sedbergh and Kirkby Lonsdale division.

- £4,000 for a new bus shelter in the Windermere division.

- £3,500 from the Kendal Strickland and Fell division to help towards the creation of a junior youth club for eight to 11-year-olds in Hallgarth.

- £2,000 for advisory signs at Hawes Lane in Natland to discourage HGV use from the Kendal South division.

- £1,500 for new facia boards at Sedgwick Village Hall from the Kendal South division.

- £1,220 to replace bus shelter glass on Steeles Row in Burneside from the Upper Kent division.

- £800 to help towards additional grit bins in Kendal from the Kendal Strickland and Fell division.

- £680 for a new defibrilator for the Langdale First Responder Community Trust from the Lakes division.

- £600 to help towards the cost of extra grit bins in Whinfell and Staveley from the Upper Kent division.

- £600 to support the cost of replacing a broken road sign at a junction near Crake Hall in Whitwell and Sellside from the Upper Kent division.

- £250 to contribute to the Go Easy scheme in Kendal from the Kendal Strickland and Fell division.

- £135 from the Lakes division to support a pilot initiative helping young people from Ambleside and Grasmere access the Keswick Film Festival.

Other funding agreed by councillors through the Local Area Partnership includes:

- £2,500 towards a gritting consortium covering Sedgewick and Heversham parishes

- £2,000 towards grit bins in various locations across the Upper Kent division.

- £500 towards an air source heat pump to help with the conversion of a disused building to become a village hall for stainton.