COMMUNITY and voluntary groups in Ringwood are to receive a share of grants worth £459,500.

Forest Forge Theatre Company and Ringwood School of Arts were among 12 groups successful in their bids for grants from New Forest District Council.

Sharon Lawless, the CEO/creative producer at Forest Forge Theatre Company, said they were “delighted” to have been awarded the grant of £32,000.

She said: “The funding will enable us to continue our valuable work in the local community.

Over 100 local young people aged six to 18 take part in the vibrant Youth Theatre every week at Forest Forge Theatre in Ringwood; building life and social skills, developing physical and mental fitness, above all it is fun. Every year young people from the Youth Theatre go on to drama schools such as RADA, Central and Rose Bruford to join the profession.

“We also support young people after youth theatre and in their gap year preparing for drama school and university to become a member of The Gap, a company specially developed for young people to work as on all aspects of being in a theatre company with master classes and performances.

“We will also continue running our adult drama group Act Your Age which are fun drama sessions that support mental and physical alertness and for many the “highlight” of their week.

We will continue running weekly drama sessions with hard to reach groups including a young traveller community.”

Ringwood School of Arts received a grant of £6,000 while Avon Valley Concerts, who perform in the Ringwood and Fordingbridge area, get £1,000.

Other organisations receiving grants were the Citizen Advice Service (£255,000), Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust (£25,000) and New Forest Disability Information Service (£10,000).

Cllr James Binns, portfolio holder for health and leisure, said: “When budgets are increasingly strained and funding streams diminishing, we acknowledge the tremendous contributionscivic organisations play.”

The grants were agreed by councillors at the district council's cabinet meeting on February 1.