A BOYS' SCHOOL in Southampton has been granted a share of nearly £2m in government funds as part of a scheme aimed at improving health, education and housing.

Weston Park Boys' School in Portsmouth Road, Weston, is one of seven projects in the city set to receive money from a £1.9m donation made by the government's Neighbourhood Renewal scheme.

The money is intended to aid the community and various services in the city over the next three years.

Southampton Community Regeneration Alliance, a group made up of council representatives and members of the health, private and voluntary sectors, has been working closely with the organisations involved to develop the seven projects.

Councillor Paul Jenks, Cabinet member for housing and community regeneration, said: "It is a very exciting time. We were delighted to be awarded the funding and it is fantastic to see all of the projects now just beginning to get off the ground."

He added: "The funding will be used in a variety of ways to help change attitudes towards living a healthy lifestyle, including funding to pay for more midwives and staff for a contraception and a sexual health clinic for young people."

Weston Park Boys' School will use the money to help improve GCSE performance. It is one of two schools in the area set to benefit from government spending.

Headteacher at Weston Park, Eric Freeman, said the school would be receiving £210,000 over the next three years.

He added: "The money is targeted at increasing achievement at GCSE, that's what it's for as a government initiative. We're using it for a whole range of small projects, each of them contributing to raising achievement."