Surfing in the South West has received a major new cash boost.

Sport England has given a £94,000 grant to the Newquay-based British Surfing Association (BSA) to pay for a full-time coach.

The new position has been created to strengthen the quality of surf coaching that is available across the region and to build the crucial surf club structure, which is integral to the growth of surfing as a regular sporting activity.

It is estimated that there are 500,000 surfers in the UK and more than half of them live in the South West.

Karen Walton, BSA: "The news that we had been given this invaluable grant is a major boost for the organisation and for British surfing."

Surfing forms a crucial part of the South West economy and at least 95 per cent of Britain’s top surfers either come from the South West or have chosen to reside there.

"Whilst there are a number of successful, strong surf clubs currently in existence, in recent years this important part of the UK sporting structure has eroded and the new position will see a person who is dedicated to the redevelopment of this area and a continual building of the style and quality of surf coaching that is available for people of all ages throughout the region," the BSA said in a statement.

The new coach will be based at the BSA's headquarters at Fistral Beach in Newquay.

However, the regional surf development coach will travel the length and breadth of the South West to examine the current structure and build a strong, new system.

The three-year post will see the successful applicant working in consultation with the BSA national director, to increase grass roots participation numbers in surfing.

The application procedure for the post opens today and it is expected that the new officer will be in position by the end of the year.

"The news that we had been given this invaluable grant is a major boost for the organisation and for British surfing," said Karen Walton, national director of the BSA.

"It has been over 10 years since the BSA received any significant form of government backing.

"So this new funding is a great opportunity for us to begin to build and strengthen the current structure and take the standards of surf coaching to a new level."