A children’s football team has received a massive cash boost after being awarded a substantial lottery grant.

Surf FC, who play their home games in Lloyds Park and Duppas Hill, were given about £9,500 through the Awards For All scheme for local communities, which they want to put towards new equipment for their U11 and U14 side, as well as giving them a possible holiday over Easter.

Club secretary and U14 manager Steve Roye, who put the final touches to securing the money after previous secretary Juliet Piggott and then Adrian Lavey got the ball rolling, said: “This changes everything for us.

“It has been difficult surviving just charging the parents a minimal fee and we have been going without equipment as we couldn’t afford it.

“But now we can use this money for equipment like balls, water bottles, kit, training cones, hurdles and speed hoops.

“We are also hoping to go charter standard, for which we need people to get their coaching badges and this will help fund that.”

Surf FC’s U11s currently top the Tandridge Youth Football League A division, while the U14 are second in the C division, and Roye admitted he hoped to reward them with a holiday in April.

He said: “Now the subscription fees we are charging can be used for other things, like taking the boys away for Easter to Butlins or Pontins for a football holiday.”