GRANT aid of £350 has been allocated to help an Okehampton organisation document the living history of the town.

Okehampton Town Council's policy committee last week decided to give the money to the Okehampton Community Archive.

The OCA is a group of volunteers dedicated to recording the living history of the town. This includes collecting, collating and storing photographs, videos, documents and voice recordings from townspeople.

The group opened its own dedicated centre on Mill Road last year, which is usually open two days a week.

The money received from the town council will pay for a digital camcorder, which will be used to film significant events in the town.

The group wanted to get the camera so that it can document a busy year which includes the inaugural lantern procession, the Diamond Jubilee celebrations and the Olympic Flame passing through the town.

Cllr Maureen McDonald said at the committee meeting: 'It's a busy year with lots of exciting things goings on in the town that are in addition to the normal town calendar.

'I say we give the group the money so they can document what should be a good twelve months in the town.'

The council allocated £10,000 to be distributed to local organisations and charities at the beginning of the financial year, following the mayoral election of Cllr McDonald.

It regularly reviews grant aid applications. There is a cap of a £500 maximum amount the council will grant from this £10,000 allocation, in an effort to spread the money as fairly and wisely as possible.

The OCA is looking for more volunteers to help with the day to day running of the organisation.

The additional volunteers will help with the ongoing collection

of data.

If you are interested, email [email protected]">[email protected] or write to Okehampton Community Archive, 69 Mill Road, Okehampton,

EX20 1PR.