YOUNGSTERS at a Gwent secondary school will get a new sports hall - thanks to lottery funding.

Glyncoed Comprehensive, in Ebbw Vale, has been awarded £854,861 to build a four-court sports hall.

The application for the grant from the Lottery's New Opportunities Fund (NOF) was made by the local education authority, Blaenau Gwent council.

The facility is expected to transform PE provision at the school, which changed from taking pupils aged 11 to 14, to pupils aged 11 to 16, when secondary school reorganisation took place in Ebbw Vale in 1999.

The hall will be used by the comprehensive's 730 pupils and by the 600 pupils at its local feeder primary schools. Councillor Brian Scully, the council's executive member for lifelong learning, said he was delighted the NOF had made possible the "exciting new facility" for the school and the community.

"Not only does this create a sporting facility for the school but it will allow out-of-school use so that all ages can realise their sporting and leisure interests within their own locality," he said.

The new hall will be built at the north end of the school, next to a ten-classroom extension that was built when the school extended its age range.

Site investigations are to begin soon and the contractor, Stradform Ltd, is expected to start work in April.

Tom Davies, board member of the NOF in Wales, which has just given awards totalling £2.1 million for PE and sports facilities in Welsh schools, said: "This funding will create state-of the-art facilities that will have a lasting impact and give young people and communities in Wales the chance to choose a healthier lifestyle."

It is not the first time that Glyncoed has benefited from new sports facilities.

Two years ago it received a cash boost of £232,000 from Sportlot and the same from Blaenau Gwent council, to build a flood-lit all-weather training pitch and pavilion.