The Denby Institute and Recreation Ground has been awarded £9,370 as part of £40,000 grant which also saw three schools in the area benefit.
Now, delighted and hardworking club members, who say it would have taken them years to raise the cash on their own, will use the money to improve the venue, which provides a home for three football teams, a bowls club and many other activities.
The money comes from the National Lottery's Big Lottery Fund, which gives out millions of pounds each year to community groups that improve health, education and the environment.
It means committee members at the institute, and some of their family members, who have been working for the last year to get the hall up to scratch, can finally afford to replace all the windows and external wooden fire doors and have the outside of the building rendered to make the hall look more attractive.
Michael Clare, chairman of the Recreation ground's committee, said: "It is massive really, this grant will be really good for us.
"It's something that, if we were having to raise the funds ourselves, would have taken us a long time to get so we're absolutely over the moon about it."
Another group which is looking forward to improving community life are staff at Christ the King Catholic Primary School, Alfreton.
Although they haven't decided what to use all of the money for, plans are already being made to spend some of the money on dance mats so the building can operate exercise classes outside of school hours.
Headteacher Helena Carrazedo said: "We are very grateful, especially for something that will involve the community. This money is so much appreciated because of the difficult times, especially in boroughs like Ripley and Alfreton, where children need it and the wider community needs it."
The school was awarded £10,000, Mundy C of E Junior School, on Lockton Avenue, in Heanor, £9,855, and Brookhill Leys Primary and Nursery School, on Chewton Street, in Eastwood, £8,880.