A LONG awaited sports pavilion for Okehampton is one step closer to becoming a reality after receiving £250,000 of funding last week.

Stuart Lord, activity development manager of sports and leisure body OCRA, said the funding was a great boost to the project at a time when there had been worries it might falter.

The Okehampton Sports and Activity Hub Pavilions project has received funding of £200,000 from the Okehampton United Charity, £50,000 from a Sport England Olympic legacy project, and £500 from OCRA chairman David Carter, who ran the 2011 London Marathon to raise his donation.

The pavilion will be constructed in a central position between the town's all-weather pitch, rugby pitch, cricket square and tennis courts, with views across the entire playing field site.

It will provide changing rooms, toilets, storage space for sports clubs, a social area, and office space for sport and community development projects. It will also act as a hub for town sporting events such as the annual Okehampton Sports Festival, and offer a viewing area for spectators.

Mr Lord said: 'This pavilion will support and enhance people's sporting experiences through a wide range of clubs, services, recreational pursuits and events on the fantastic college and Simmons Park site.'

The project evolves from the loss of two small pavilions, the development of sports facilities over the years, a fast growing town and clubs working together.

Chair of Okehampton United Charity Derek Webber said: 'Okehampton United Charity is pleased to be able to provide financial support to ensure the pavilion could be built as a single development during this special Olympic year, and that it will provide a significant facility for the community of Okehampton.'

Richard Jones, of Okehampton Hockey Club, said: 'The hub pavilion will provide a fantastic facility for the local clubs and so many people will benefit from it.'

Jason Lyons, of Sport England, was impressed with the grant bid because of the wide range of youth and adult sports the project will benefit.

The £50,000 from Sport England was donated from the Inspired Facilities fund, which is part of the £135-million Places People Play legacy programme linked to the 2012 London Olympics.

Delivered by Sport England in partnership with the British Olympic Association and British Paralympic Association, the programme is aiming to upgrade up to 1,000 local sports clubs and facilities, invest in a number of multi-sport facilities like the Okehampton pavilion that set standards for future developments, and protect and improve hundreds of playing fields across the country.

The pavilion will carry the London 2012 Inspire mark, celebrating the link to the fund and the London Games.

The project has been shaped through the initial involvement of Peter Woodgate in 2008, and later in its design phase with Oxenham Consult.

In terms of funding, the catalyst for the project was £600,000 of investment from Devon County Council through their Investing in Devon project back in 2008. The bid was backed by county councillors Christine Marsh and James McInnes, and the grant also supported the all-weather pitch which opened in November 2009.

This funding, along with other donations including a recent £20,000 grant from the Greater Dartmoor LEAF, has taken the pavilion fund to £575,000 of the £625,000 total.

OCRA chairman David Carter said: 'Every £1 collected makes the project closer to becoming a reality.'

David is running in the 2012 London Marathon to continue to raise funds for the project.

For more information on the project, email [email protected]">[email protected] or call OCRA on 01837 54546.