THE Rotary Club of Okehampton has provided a big boost to local sports and youngsters in the area by donating a bumper £1,000 to Okehampton's Community and Recreational Association.

Mike Maklin, past president of The Rotary Club of Okehampton, handed over a cheque for £1,000 to Stuart Lord of OCRA at its Friday evening Gym Club.

Stuart said: 'OCRA runs classes for youngster's of all ages from two and a half to 18 years-old. We have recently had to add extra sessions due to popularity and have currently more than 80 young people attending weekly sessions, from trampolining to football.

'We have been fundraising for some time towards gymnastic's equipment totalling £4,750, and this cheque from Okehampton Rotary is a great help towards our work with the community, which will give an outlet to their competitive spirit and will give them a feeling of wellbeing and help to improve their fitness levels.'

Nils Westman, the Rotary Club's community and youth committee chairman who was present at the handover, added: 'OCRA has shown tremendous commitment in building links with the community and schools over the years and their events are always well attended, particularly because they have such a broad range of activities.

'Many children have gained confidence from the tuition they have received from the OCRA sports staff.'