Sports clubs and arts organisations are among those to benefit from nearly £22,000 of grants from a town council.

The grants awards from Thetford Town Council – ranging from £400 to £3,000 – were awarded to 12 community organisations during a reception on Thursday.

Representatives from the groups attended the event at King's House to receive their donations, won through an application process in which each organisation stated how its grant would be spent.

Brenda Canham, chair of the amenities committee, which handed out the grants, said: 'Hopefully our donations will help you with your projects for the forthcoming year and the council looks forward to hearing your progress reports.'

Among the beneficiaries were the newly opened Thetford Town Boxing Club, which received £2,981.14 towards the core running costs for its first year.

Since opening in September the club has amassed 101 members and is already thinking about expanding to accommodate more classes for recreational and competitive boxers.

Tracey Robertson, boxing club committee vice chair, said: 'We are really grateful to the council for the money. The first year is always crucial and we are really glad to have had the boost.'

The Music Arts Project Community Interest Company (CIC) in Brandon was given £2,875 to help expand its workshops and classes into Thetford.

Music director Kevin Chilvers said: 'This is going to allow us to expand outside Brandon. It is great to have the support of the council and we are very pleased to get it.'

Fiona Rhind from the Friends of Thetford Station collected a £443.75 grant which will be used to buy a petrol hedge trimmer, to maintain the native wildlife-friendly hedges the volunteer group has planted in the station grounds.

She said: 'Our aim is to develop the station as a visitor attraction in its own right.

'We want to maintain it in as professional a way as possible, to make it look more like a public garden.'

The Thetford Players received £1,937.50 to pay for eight new microphones.

Players chairman Jo Cooper, who collected the cheque with vice chair Emma Kelly and youth rep Thomas Chamberlain, said: 'For each show we did it was costing hundreds of pounds to hire microphones. This means we can have a full set of 12 and we do not have to worry about hiring them any more – it is brilliant.'

Other groups to benefit were Thetford Community Association, the football, bowls and tennis clubs, Charles Burrell Centre, Leaping Hare and Thetford Singers.