Sport England has announced an Olympic legacy funding boost worth £17.4m to be shared among 350 community groups across the country in a bid to help improve sports facilities.

The support is being made available through the agency's Inspired Facilities fund, which is part of the wider £135m Places People Play programme financed by the National Lottery.

Among the projects to receive a share of funding is the upgrade of a 35-year-old clubhouse at Great Ecclestone cricket club, Lancashire, to include disabled access (£50,000).

A £50,000 grant has been made available towards the replacement of the roof at Worcester Citizens' Swimming Pool, which currently has a number of leaks threatening its future.

Elsewhere, a boxing club in Oxford has been awarded £46,000 to help fund the acquisition of a new permanent home venue and safeguard the future of the organisation.

Hugh Robertson, minister for sport and the Olympics, said: "We want to use the Olympic and Paralympics next summer to inspire a generation to get involved in sport across the country.

"This is why as part of the £135m Places People Play legacy programme we invited community sports clubs to apply for funding to upgrade their facilities."

Sport England chair Richard Lewis added: "We've had unprecedented demand for this fund, which has really hit the mark with sports clubs. It shows we're offering the sporting legacy that people want."

Details: www.sportengland.org

Image: Oxford Boxing Academy