Sports teams, village halls and community groups across the county are celebrating after being awarded thousands of pounds of lottery cash.
Grants of up to £10,000 from the Awards for All fund were announced yesterday.
In total, £158,755 will be shared between 19 organisations across the county.
One of the biggest amounts for Leicestershire was a £10,000 grant for Groby village hall to replace a 100-year-old floor. Village hall treasurer Colin Mitchell said: "Between 1,800 and 2,000 sessions are held there every year, including lots of children's groups and other clubs and societies.
"The floor has patches that need repairing and, as it's been there for 100 years, we've decided it's done pretty well and could do with replacing now."
Goldhill Play Association, in Leicester's Saffron Lane estate, will receive £6,334 to revamp its outdoor area.
Max Hiley, the special needs co-ordinator at the centre, said: "The money will pay for picnic benches children in wheelchairs can use, as well as triangular sunshades, a sandpit, planters, benches and a bike rack.
"It's going to make a huge difference here. All our picnic tables were scrounged from places that were closing down and none of them are wheelchair-friendly.
"We have about 2,000 children registered with us and about 200 of them have special needs, so this is important for us."
Desford Brass Band Club in Whitwick Road, Coalville, will receive £9,800 to double the size of its car park and resurface the area.
Club chairman Peter Smith said: "Awards for All has massively contributed to the work with this grant, so we're delighted.
"It's about £15,000 to do all the work but Aggregate Industries has also helped out. We're a proper community facility here and, as well as the colliery band, we've got an operatics society, ballet dancing and various council activities going on.''
Other grants include £9,813 for Oadby Town Football Club to run healthy eating sessions, £2,772 to pay for improvements to the play area at Wymeswold Washdyke, near Loughborough, and £4,065 for Broomleys Sports and Social Club, in Coalville, to fit new heaters.
Mick McGrath, the Big Lottery Fund head for the East Midlands region, said: "The National Lottery has been changing lives for 18 years.
"National Lottery funding doesn't just help large organisations but also makes a huge difference to small community projects run by a handful of people.
"Every week, National Lottery players raise over £30 million to help change people's lives."
Where the money went: How Leicestershire and Rutland clubs spent lottery money Oadby Town Football Club: £9,813 for healthy eating and fitness sessions for the community. Goldhill Play Association, Saffron Lane Estate, Leicester: £6,334 for wheelchair-friendly picnic tables and other improvements. Wymeswold Washdyke, Charnwood: £2,772 for fencing and trees around the local play area. Groby Village Hall: £10,000 for new flooring. Burbage Youth Project: £9,360 for gardening and vehicle renovation workshops for disadvantaged young people. Aspiro Opportunities Ltd, Leicester: £9,973 for an employment programme for people with mental health problems. The Aspire Educational Trust, Beaumont Leys, Leicester: £9,200 for a weekly education drop-in centre. Belgrave Baheno, Peepul Centre, Belgrave, Leicester: £9,428 for healthy lifestyle sessions. St John the Baptist Primary School, Whitwick: £9,950 for fitness activities for young people in a deprived community. Desford Brass Band Club, Coalville: £9,800 to resurface the car park. Crystal Clear Creators, Leicester: £8,200 for thinking skills workshops. The Leicester Enterprise Club: £9,380 for employability training workshops. Aqoon Schools HomeServices, Leicester: £9,575 for work placements for unemployed people. Focus Charity, Leicester: £9,516 for a leadership course for young people. New Shoots Gardening Centre, Hamilton, Leicester: £6,169 to create a community garden and vegetable patch. Action Homeless, Wigston: £5,300 for filmmaking and photography workshops for homeless people. Loughborough Cottages Social Group: £9,920 for healthy living sessions for older people with disabilities. Broomleys Sports and Social Club, Coalville: £4,065 for heaters for the sports club. Mantle Community Arts, Coalville: £10,000 for a street arts community event.
