MONEY to promote Callington plus help to fund three projects in the Calstock parish has been dished out by Caradon District Council by way of a parting gift to the communities it serves.

The four schemes are among 72 projects to share the £575,000 Caradon Community Improvement Fund before the council is disbanded next spring to make way for the 'One Cornwall' unitary authority.

Delaware Community Learning Centre has been awarded £15,000 towards its construction, Callington Town Council has gained £6,010 to promote the town, and Calstock Parish Council has secured £7,660 to revive allotments in the parish.

Another £10,000 will support the SECCURE Credit Union, based at the Oasis Centre in Gunnislake, which is a not-for-profit organisation providing savings and loan facilities for local people.

Part of the money will be set aside to help create jobs for the next ten to 15 years by providing business land and premises in Caradon.

Caradon's community services portfolio holder Cllr Beryl Martin said: 'The community improvement fund will ensure that the vital economic and community development work that Caradon has carried out over the past 34 years continues well into the future.'

The authority set up the fund to support economic development regeneration and community development in South East Cornwall.

This funding came from a number of the council's small reserve funds, including the local authority business grant and the local public service agreement target rewards.

Ginny Jackets from the Delaware Community Learning Centre committee said the money was vital in meeting the costs of the build which had soared between the time the work was first costed to when the tenders came in. She said it would help towards renewable energy and fixtures and fittings.

The grant to Calstock is for the Tamar Grow Local project which will help with the cost of fencing and providing a water supply to a new piece of allotment land.

The scheme was set up because many people in the Calstock and Albaston area had little or no garden space, and the resurgence of interest in growing their own food.