A WEST Devon Cricket Club is celebrating this week after it was announced that it would be receiving a grant of more than £6,000 from the Big Lottery Fund.

Lewdown Cricket Club is among many other local projects set to benefit from grants from the lottery's Awards for All programme.

The £6,265 award is being used to compliment the club's extensive community links programme which already includes nine local primary schools and Okehampton College. ECB qualified coaches are currently delivering cricket skills to children during curriculum time and as 'after school activities'.

Club members and volunteers will continue to work towards ECB CA Coaching Awards at levels one and two, with particular emphasis placed on skills workshop for senior coaches in the club. Child protection courses, equity courses and first aid courses are also now on offer to club members.

The Awards for All grant will also be used to purchase extensive coaching and training equipment and aids as well as a new high quality netting system for the outdoor nets.

Charlie Hughes, chairman of Lewdown Cricket Club, said: 'We are highly delighted to have received this grant which will enable us to continue our youth development project at many local primary schools and at our club.

'The funding received will be spent on various courses for our volunteers, youth equipment, schools coaching programme and new netting for our outdoor practice net bays.'

A total of £224,255 is being distributed to 31 groups across the south west region in the latest round of awards, announced recently.

Mark Cotton, head of the Big Lottery Fund's South West region, said: 'As summer approaches, it's good to see so many communities organising outdoor events and activities that will make such a difference to people, from talent festivals and events to gardening clubs.

'Awards for All is pleased to support the wealth of talented people in the south west who work so hard, often on a voluntary bases, to do something for the place they live.

'We are delighted to help 31 groups this month share in almost a quarter of a million pounds.'

Awards for All is the small grants scheme administered by the Bg Lottery Fund on behalf of Lottery good cause funders, Arts Council England, Big Lottery Fund, Heritage Lottery Fund and Sport England.