A COMMUNITY sports project on the Bere Peninsula received a big boost recently, following a successful musical fundraising event.

In a spectacular display of community groups co-operating and supporting each other, Bere Ukes played to a packed house for their debut concert, and raised £779 to donate to the Weir Quay Community Watersports project.

Juniors of the Tamar and Tavy Gig Club and Weir Quay Sailing Club gave the big cheque the thumbs up when it was presented on Good Friday (pictured right).

The watersports project is a joint endeavour by their two clubs, currently homeless, to create a new base for them to sail and row from on the River Tamar.

The cheque was presented by Mike Grimshaw, the musical director of the Bere Ukes, to Peter Key, chairman of the watersports project.

The sailing and rowing clubs raised a further £476 through a raffle and sale of food and hot drinks during the concert, bringing the total to £1,255.

Bere Alston Bowling Club was delighted to see their beautiful new clubhouse filled with almost 200 local people.

The 'Bere Ukes' and Friends' concert, as well as the 18-strong year-old ukulele band, featured musical talents from the Tamar Valley, with special guest Tyrone Piper, Tavy Tars, Squandered Youth, Ferrers Reel, and Hazy Recollections.

Peter Kay said: 'It was a brilliant evening. Everybody had a great time and we are hugely grateful.

'It is wonderful to see the musical talent that thrives in this Bere peninsula community, and what was especially warming was to see the different community groups coming together to help each other in this way.

'In fact, by sharing the load it makes it much easier to organise such an event.'

The Weir Quay Community Watersports project is now close to making an application for planning permission to create a new facility close to the hard at Weir Quay, the only public access to the tidal estuary of the Tamar in West Devon.

The sum of £28,000 is needed to buy the land and pay professional and planning fees. A recent request to the 280 members of the sailing and gig clubs for donations raised some £15,000.

Peter said: 'With other grants and gifts from community groups we are getting close. We now think we will succeed in raising enough for this first phase.

'If we can do that, and, of course, obtain planning permission, the two clubs, and particularly their youth training activities, will be safe.'