PARENTS will be able to take advantage of extra places at Eastburn Out of School Care Club Ltd - thanks to a grant from the New Opportunities Fund.

Twenty-four awards have been made in the region in the latest round of grants from the fund, which is the biggest distributor of National Lottery good causes money.

The grant for £11,766 will be used to create 16 before school and 16 after school places for children aged four to 11 years at the club, which will be run from Eastburn Junior and Infants School.

Headteacher Elizabeth Pratt said: "We are absolutely delighted to get the grant as it means we can hopefully get started in September."

She added that they still needed to get Ofsted registration for the club, which is going to be run as a company by guarantee, which is separate from the school.

School governors initiated the idea for a club and they will sit on the club committee. Staff have been appointed and it is hoped the club will be up and running by September 8.

The money from the New Opportunities Fund will act as a start-up grant and enable the club to buy play equipment, a television, computer, construction equipment, creative tools for art and design and games.

It will also be used to offset some of the costs of the club in its first year, but after that the club will have to be self-financing.

The club will provide care for children from 7.45am until 9am and from 3.30pm to 6pm. "It is mainly aimed at parents of children of Eastburn School," added Mrs Pratt.

"We are very excited about it as it will be a great asset to parents. It gives the opportunity to parents to work knowing that their children have high quality childcare. The school is always looking for ways to help parents with their professional lives.