NORTH Yorkshire schools are hoping to receive a slice of a £3.4 million Lottery bid put forward by the county council.

A list of 31 schemes designed to improve sports and recreation facilities at the county's schools has been drawn up.

Details of the projects - which include new halls, playgrounds and outdoor adventure activities - have been submitted to the New Opportunities Fund for approval. One of the schools hoping to benefit is Sutton-on-the-Forest Primary School, near Easingwold.

Joyce Botham, head teacher at the school, said they were hoping to receive a massive £267,500 to go towards a new hall.

Mrs Botham said: "We actually have no hall at the moment - staff and pupils have been walking down to the village hall for PE lessons for I don't know how many years. We are looking to build a sports hall with two classrooms attached, and also a kitchen if it's possible, so we can use the hall as a dining area."

Mrs Botham said the school had been applying for almost every grant and funding opportunity on offer.

She said: "One of my remits when I joined as head teacher in September was to push for a hall and we are all really excited about the New Opportunities Fund.

"The staff have all put in so much work and they deserve it."

She added: "This is really quite a big coup for the village as well, because the community will hopefully be able to use it in addition to the hall they already have."

Staff at Lady Lumley's School, in Pickering, have worked in conjunction with the Community Education Service in Ryedale, and are hoping to benefit to the tune of £147,000.

The cash will go towards providing additional sports instructors and ambitious building projects to create more recreational facilities for the Pickering and Kirkbymoorside areas.

A spokesman for the county council said they were awaiting final approval from the New Opportunities Fund, which draws money from the National Lottery.

Updated: 10:26 Saturday, April 27, 2002