MORE than £250,000 of lottery cash has been awarded to Teesside sporting projects.

Stockton’s Tees Valley Rowing club, which boasts Olympic gold medal winner Kat Copeland as a member, has been awarded £47,500 from Sport England.

And Stockton Borough Council has been given £150,000 to develop a new skate park at Preston Park, Eaglescliffe.

Tees Rowing Club will use the money towards a £67,500 project to upgrade its facilities at the River Tees Watersport Centre and invest in new equipment.

The club has had a high profile this year following the Olympic gold medal won by the former Yarm School pupil who hails from Ingleby Barwick in the lightweight double scull event with Sophie Hosking.

Club President John Green said: “We are delighted to have secured this investment from Sport England and with help from Stockton Borough Council we can upgrade the quality of our premises, and provide equipment to match the demands of our growing membership and the quality of our coaching team. ”

Alex Cunningham, MP for Stockton North, said: “I am sure this money will help to preserve the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics legacy on Teesside, and will encourage more aspiring rowers to try and emulate the success of Kat Copeland.”

Ken Dixon, Stockton’s Council’s Cabinet Member for Arts, Leisure and Culture, commented on both the money for the new skate park and Tees Rowing Club’s success.

He said: “This skate park will provide our younger residents with an exciting and innovative space for sport within Preston Park.

"Following Kat Copeland’s homecoming the Mayor of Stockton pledged the Council’s support to Tees Rowing Club.

"The Club’s future looks bright and this cash will help them to meet the surge of interest generated since the Olympics and Paralympics”.

Alix Osifo, 12, from Eaglescliffe said: “Having a skate park in Preston Park will be brilliant because it will give kids from this area things to do all the time instead of having to travel far away.”

Sport England’s Chair, Richard Lewis, said: “This National Lottery investment is helping us deliver a lasting sporting legacy on Teesside from last year’s successful Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Lottery backed Sport England supported 310 projects in the latest funding round and one of 1,000 to have benefited overall.