A TARKA Country Millennium award has enabled a convention, promoting safer communities and activities to reduce the threat and fear of crime, to take place in Okehampton.

Colin Harris, from Lewdown, has successfully applied for the Tarka grant to hold the Devon and Cornwall Safer Communities Convention at the Octagon Theatre in Okehampton in November.

Mr Harris hopes the convention will bring together speakers from the Home Office, Government Office of the South West, Department for Work and Pensions, Devon and Cornwall Police, neighbourhood watch groups and other agencies.

Mr Harris is an active volunteer in several organisations, but his specialist area is community safety. The Tarka Country Millennium Award will pay the expenses of organising and holding the convention as well as giving Mr Harris the chance to receive training on conference and exhibition organisation skills.

The aim of the convention is to promote confidence in those attending to take action to combat identified problems. Security products will also be demonstrated.

Mr Harris said although the award would entail a lot of hard work contacting speakers, exhibitors and others to fill the 250 seats available, he was delighted the Tarka grant would support the convention.