A RAFT of worthy Worcestershire causes have been handed cash awards totalling £284,000 from one of the county’s most historic charitable organisations.

The major beneficiaries include the Tudor House Museum in Friar Street, Worcester, which has got £40,000, and the Maggs Day Centre in Worcester, which was given £23,000.

The handouts came from Worcester Municipal Charities, which owns 46 properties, mainly in Worcester, and uses the rental income to give to suitable projects annually.

It includes a £25,000 award to the city’s Citizens Advice Bureau to fund a free legal advice scheme run with Worcester Law School.

The school will place students in the bureau where they will work alongside a qualified solicitor as part of their learning at a base in Inglethorpe Court in the Hopmarket, off Foregate Street, provided free by the charity.

The group’s property portfolio includes NatWest at The Cross, the Berkeley Court flats in Warndon Villages, and the Maggs Day Centre, Deansway, which is offered rent-free.

The charity’s chairman Paul Griffiths said: “Worcester Municipal Charities has become quite a big player in the city, although we still have to be fairly careful with our money and investments.

“The trustees feel they are making a very big difference to a large number of charities in the city.”

At Tudor House Museum, the cash will be split over two years and be spent on two part-time curators who will help run the site and recruit or train volunteers. The staff will also help draw up a bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund for a new visitors centre inside the museum.

Another major benefactor was Worcester for Youth, which has been given £24,000 towards running costs.

And Worcester Community Trust was awarded two grants – one for summer play sessions to keep children occupied, and the other towards a new minibus.

Rose Beeston, manager of Dancefest, one of the beneficiaries, said: “The grant Dancefest receives from Worcester Municipal Charities enables dance sessions for children to take place at Worcester community centres and over the years has grown from one to seven weekly workshops.

“The support has been much appreciated enabling hundreds of children to participate which otherwise might not have been possible.”

Worcester Municipal Charities dates back to 1836 and is ran and managed by a team of trustees.

The annual rental value of the assets is currently topping £920,000. Fifteen of the properties have been taken on since 2000.

Age UK, Headway Worcester and Worcester Play Council are among the organisations who will still get rent free accommodation.