Sailors, musicians and arts fans will gain from more than £11,000 in grants awarded to clubs and groups.

Groups in and around Abingdon will benefit from the cash allocated by the Vale of White Horse District Council.

Compass Café, at the Peachcroft Christian Centre in Abingdon, was awarded £5,000 towards the cost of a part-time youth worker, who will be able to offer advice and support to more than 60 16- to 19-year-olds outside its normal opening hours.

Abingdon Performance Arts Group Enterprise (Apage) was granted £4,000 towards the design, production and distribution of the brochure for the 2008 Abingdon Arts Festival. More than 19,000 copies will be sent to every house and business in Abingdon ahead of the event which has been organised by the organisation for more than 10 years.

Despite being out of the Vale district, in neighbouring South Oxfordshire, Dorchester Sailing Club, received £1,000 towards the cost of building a new clubhouse, which will provide changing and showering areas, toilets, a kitchen, a dining and social area, disabled facilities and a club and training room with a hearing loop. Training principle David Gray, said: "It is fantastic. The grant will cover about 45 per cent of the cost of the new facilities, which is wonderful. It means we will have a modern set of facilities for the 21st century which will replace an old quarry building which is no longer fit for purpose.

"We hope it will be used as a community resource by other local groups."

Council spokesman Gavin Walton said the committee felt a large number of sailing enthusiasts from the district benefited from the club.

He added: "The committee recognised the contribution the club had made to the Vale community during the recent flooding when it provided a temporary home at very short notice to the council's summer canoeing activities."

Others who benefited included Abingdon Concert Band, which was awarded £700 towards the cost of a new set of banners to mark its 30th anniversary, and a £500 grant for the Abingdon Festival Music Association for the running of its 2008 concerto class at Radley College.

Richard Webber, chairman of the Abingdon area committee, said: "Community groups are key to maintaining the vitality and spirit of the Vale. People in the Abingdon area are lucky there is a great variety of things going on and by awarding the grants we hope these activities will continue to flourish."