Workington Town's community team have been handed a five-figure boost to complete rugby league projects across the area.

The forward-thinking club is set to deliver a host of new initiatives, led by community manager Marnie Jackson.

Town already run a successful Sky Try project which works with primary school children in Year 3 and 4 and secondary school boys in Years 7 to 10.

It also aims to increase girls participation of the sport in schools, running a touch rugby programme for Years 7-10.

Town are also still running their successful reading mentor scheme, now in its last year of four, working with schools across Allerdale.

Players go in and sit and read with youngsters to aid their development.

Marnie said: "This is still going strong and players in the project have been heralded in Ofsted reports as 'heroes to the children'."

After winning the community club of the year award at the RFL's awards dinner back in 2012, Marnie has not sat back.

She has been devising more plans to continue to move the club forward and this recent funding will allow her team, including several of the club's players, to get more involved.

One new project in the pipeline is the Active Cumbria Allerdale Education offer. 

With community clubs often saying that participation figures in the game drop after 14-year-old through to open age, new emphasis is now being put on that tough age bracket.

Workington Town's community trust will be the first delivery partner from the RFL to pilot a new programme aged at youngsters 14 plus in schools.

For boys in years 10-13 there will be an eight week coaching block followed by development festivals while girls in years 10 and 11 will get touch rugby training followed by an inter school festival.

The club will then host an open day for all who took part .

A social nines programme is also being rolled out for those who do not have the time to play regularly or wish to give it a try. It will be linked to local community clubs.

And not forgetting those who have played but do not want to hang up their boots, there are hopes of creating an Allerdale Masters team.

Again training will be held at a community club, run by the Town staff, to look at playing the game over the age of 35 with the hopes of a new team at the close.

Adults can also join either a social touch programme or a competitive touch environment, with both being offered.

The social touch will take place at local amateur clubs as a six-week programme hoping to encourage people to take up the sport.

The competitive touch will be ran on a league basis, run at a local sports venue.

Not forgetting keeping youngsters busy in the school holidays the club will have plans throughout the year to encourage youngsters to play the sport and develop skills in their training camps.

At present, alongside Marnie, Latu Fifita, Brett Carter and Tom Walker are all full time in the community scheme.

Ryan Verlinden, Oliver Gordon and Jarrod Sammut will also take part in some activities, with Perry Whiteley also helping out.