The government has announced grants of nearly �400m designed to help revitalise eight of England's most deprived communities.

The grants, totalling just over �370m, will go to areas in the government's New Deal for Communities partnerships.

The partnerships, in Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Leicester, Middlesborough and the London boroughs of Newham and Southwark, involve developing plans to reduce crime, improve residents' health, help in job finding and raising educational standards.

Speaking at the first National New Deal for Communities conference in Brighton, neighbourhood renewal minister Hilary Armstrong told representatives of the areas: "The partnerships' delivery plans include some exciting new ventures.

"You are pathfinders, pioneers not only for New Deal for Communities but for neighbourhood renewal nationally.

"I am confident that, with the continuing hard work of all those involved, you will change these neighbourhoods dramatically over the next 10 years."

The areas which succeeded in winning 10-year Government grants were:

• Birmingham (Kings Norton) �3m (for a further year of development work)
  
  
• Bradford (Little Horton) �50m
  
  
• Bristol (Barton Hill) �50m
  
  
• Leicester (Braunstone) �49.5
  
  
• London (Southwark) �56.2m
  
  
• London (Newham, West Ham and Plaistow) �54.6m
  
  
• Sandwell (Greets Green) �56m
  
  
• West Middlesborough �52.1m

The New Deal for Communities programme is a part of the Government's plans for tackling social exclusion and bridging the gap between the poorest neighbourhoods and the rest of the country.

Seventeen areas were invited to bid for funding in September 1998, and a further 22 in November 1999.

Two partnerships had already been awarded funding - �52m for East Manchester and �37.4m for Shoreditch in London.

The remaining seven Round One partnerships are due to submit their plans to the Government by March 21.