A new sports facility, a popular community centre and a village play area are to benefit from more than £30,000 of grant funding from a district council.

The three projects in Swaffham, Thetford and Beeston will each take a share of the cash from Breckland Council after the authority's cabinet approved their match-funding bids on Tuesday.

A £14,000 grant was approved it enable Swaffham Town Council to develop a multi-use games area (MUGA) on the town's recreation ground.

Designed through feedback from a wide-ranging consultation with residents, the MUGA will have markings for sports including cricket, football, netball and basketball. New facilities may also include a pool games wall, target hoops and five-a-side goals.

Ian Sherwood, Shirley Matthews and Paul Darby, Breckland Council ward members for Swaffham, said: 'We want to encourage young people to get active and engage in sport but, without improvements, the current hard court area is totally unsuitable.

'We would like to thank Swaffham residents – especially SK8 Mob, a local group of young people – for their input in designing what is set to be a terrific new facility for Swaffham.'

The Benjamin Foundation is to receive £8,086 towards the cost of re-roofing the Meet Up Community Centre on the Redcastle Furze Estate in Thetford, and insulating the roof of its sports hall. The centre runs training courses, art and music workshops and school holiday activities and hosts many clubs and support groups.

The third award of £7,920 to registered charity Beeston Playing Field will boost fundraising efforts to improve the village's play facilities.

Following a consultation with residents and the local school, the charity is raising funds to install a range of new equipment including a 30m zip wire, a nest swing, a toddler tower with slide, a zig-zag balance beam and a stepping log snake.

Elizabeth Gould, Breckland Council ward member for Beeston and Bittering, said: 'I am delighted that we were able to support this bid.

'Play areas are a fantastic community resource where children can play safely and parents can meet up with friends. With the new equipment in place, the area will be a real asset for the village for generations to come.'

Breckland Council large match-funding grants of £5,001 to £20,000 are available to voluntary and community groups, schools and town and parish councils.

For more information, and to apply, contact the Norfolk Community Foundation who administer the fund on Breckland's behalf – call 01603 623958, email grants@norfolkfoundation.com or visit the Norfolk Community Foundation website.