CHRISTMAS has come early for two West Devon organisations, who have just scooped grants from the National Lottery?s Awards for All programme. Tavistock and District Outdoor Education Forum has been awarded the maximum grant possible under the scheme, £5,000, which it has used to buy trailers to transport its kayaks. Peter Challiss, chairman of the forum, said: ?We have a very old trailer which basically looks like a banana now and is about to give up. It?s been welded but there is only so much you can do ? I think without the grant we would have stopped moving.? Mr Challis said the forum has now been able to buy two trailers, enabling it to move double and single kayaks around, plus carry paddles and safety equipment. The forum is run by volunteers who are all qualified instructors, providing a variety of outdoor adventure opportunities for youth groups in the area, such as kayaking, canoeing, climbing and caving. ?In total we cater for about 250 to 400 youngsters a year,? said Mr Challiss. ?That?s not all kayaking; we do other things as well, but the kayaks are probably out two or three times a month in the summer, going to places like Lopwell and Roadford.? And Gulworthy Primary School?s parent teacher group has been awarded £1,690 to help its after-school organic gardening club. Deborah Sturdy, a parent at the school who has pioneered the club, said she was delighted with the award. ?I?ve been scrimping and saving in all sorts of ways, but this means I can really go ahead with things ? it?s nice to be able to buy some plants that are a reasonable size, which means you really suddenly see a difference.? Deborah said the gardening club has proved very popular with the children, who have helped grow a wide variety of vegetables and herbs, including potatoes, spinach, carrots, radishes, lettuce, peas and beans. ?I think it?s important for children to know where their food has come from. We?ve had some fantastic crops ? the food has been eaten as part of school dinners, some has been taken home, some has been made into chutney, which has provided money to buy more seeds and plants,? said Deborah. The money will help buy hurdles and hedging plants, equipment to create a pond and bog garden and also a small bird garden. ?The children have done everything, we?ve had no diggers in here, it?s all been done by hand and they seem to have loved it; some more than others, but it?s been fantastic they?ve been so keen, it?s wonderful. ?Every week we have been harvesting crops which the school cook has been using. Sometimes there?s a wheelbarrow load, sometimes just a bucket, but she?s been really surprised at how things are getting eaten,? said Deborah. The Awards for All scheme makes awards of between £500 and £5,000 to grass roots community groups and voluntary organisations. Steve Barriball, senior awards officer, said: ?The grants we are announcing today mean that those groups who have been successful ? and we fund about half of all those that apply ? will now be able to start work on their community projects. ?For them it really is a case of Christmas coming early and I know that this money will make a big difference to many lives across the South West.?
