A West Devon charity which serves rural and town centre residents is celebrating the agreement of an eagerly awaited grant.

The £15,000 from Devon County Council to Tavistock Area Support Services (TASS), based at the town’s bus station, was offically confirmed last week and helps guarantee its many community services.

The charity supoport vulnerable people in the Tavistock area, including as far as Bere Alston and Gunnislake, to help them improve their standard of living, primarily improve their independence

Those who benefit from TASS support include people with mobility problem, with caring responsibilities and people who feel isolated at home and want to feel more involved in the community. TASS provides volunteer drives to give lifts to people to vital health appointments.

Holly Stirling, TASS manager, said: “We’re really pleased to have the grant confirmed. It’s crucial to provide some services to support the more vulnerable and isolated people in our community. It will support our outreach worker part-time role staffed by Becky Joy who supports vulnerable people to access benefits and services. The only problem is relying on year-on-year grant applications, complicating long-term planning. TASS signposts to sources of help.