The cash is from the National Lottery's Awards for All scheme which hands out money on behalf of the Arts Council England, Big Lottery Fund, Heritage Lottery Fund and Sport England.

Adrenaline Alley in Priors Haw Road, Corby, has received £9,985.

It will enable the centre to set up a team of fully-trained staff and volunteers qualified as Level two and three British Cycling BMX coaches, and allow them to develop a registered club for local people who want to progress towards Clubmark accreditation.

Founder Mandy Young said: "We set up the club in 2003, and since then have grown from a grass-roots community charity to the UK's biggest indoor centre for urban sports.

"We want to get people qualified in the next level of BMX coaching because our vision is to create champions of the future. We also aim to have a world-class facility in 2011 and part of that requires having a national BMX racetrack, which could benefit thousands of people.

"The funding is going to be instrumental for us in the delivery of this facility and will also be a massive advantage to the industry. We will be the Wembley of urban sports by 2011."

Shout Youth Theatre group has been given £9,991 by the scheme to provide a weekly drama course, a young writers' retreat and training sessions for youth leaders.

The popular group was founded by Corby writer and playwright Paula Boulton and in the past has performed Paula's ground-breaking play Women of Steel.

Another Corby group to benefit is Back to Books which received a £10,000 grant.

The group, which was originally founded with an Awards for All grant to celebrate reading, will use the cash to provide an art project looking at women's lives from a historical perspective.

Members will carry out research to help produce an art installation reflecting the work.

Secretary and project co-ordinator Carole Miles said: "We want to collect the everyday personal stories that disappear out of existence as the generations pass.

"We'll collect personal stories from women in the area and carry out family history research online and in local archives.

"From there, we will be able to hold three sets of workshops with the help of the grant – felt-making, print-making and working with textiles.

"In the past, women in areas like Corby would be able to find work using textiles and today many women are rediscovering working with textiles for pleasure.

"We hope to use research and creative workshops as a way of making real the histories of women that may otherwise be lost."