A Keighley school hit the jackpot this week, with £1 million of lottery cash.

Holy Family RC School has been given the cash following a successful bid to the New Opportunities Fund

The award from the lottery distributor, set up to provide grants to education, health and environmental projects, will make it possible for the school to improve its sports facilities.

The money will be used to build a new four-court sports hall, which the school is hoping to develop as a centre of excellence for basketball and netball.

There are also plans to develop junior rugby with the help of caretaker Lyndon Hall, who is a coach with Keighley Town.

Head teacher Conor Davis said: "We are all delighted. It's a fantastic opportunity in the school to develop sport.

"Our sports facilities are very poor. This is something we have needed for years.

"The new building will provide a badly needed playing area and changing facilities."

In addition to improving facilities for the pupils, Mr Davis is eager to throw the doors of the new sports hall open to the community and neighbouring schools.

He added: "We already share our sports facilities with other schools but, as a community minded school, it upsets us very much that we had little to offer out of hours to the wider public.

"This is a wonderful opportunity which we must grasp with both hands."

The £1 million windfall is part of a £10.6 million sport and leisure grant awarded to 27 schools across the region.

In total, seven schools in the Keighley district were among those chosen to receive the windfall amid fierce competition from other schools.

Almost 130 applications for funding were received, leaving council chiefs with the difficult task of choosing who would lose out.

The lucky seven and amounts awarded were: Hothfield Junior School, Silsden (£73,000), Guard House Primary, Keighley (£73,000), Holycroft Primary, Keighley (£191,000), Steeton Primary (£6,000), Eastwood Primary, Keighley (£1,000), Ingrow Primary, Keighley (£1,750) and Holy Family RC (£1m).

The other big Keighley winner in the lottery cash bonanza was Holycroft, which was awarded almost £200,000.

The school plans to build an artificial multi-use sports pitch and a small sports hall that both pupils and locals will be able to use.

Head teacher Andrew Neal said: "We are absolutely delighted to have been awarded £191,000.

"We have told the children and they are delighted and the governors and staff are thrilled.

"It will have a huge impact on opportunities in the area, on the children in school time and on the community and area.

"I would also like the facilities to be used by the local community. We have spoken to 20 or 30 of the youths in the area and they were thrilled."