BOTH young and old in West Devon are celebrating following the latest round of Awards for All lottery grants.

The 1st Lifton Cub Scout Group has been awarded £3,322 to acquire equipment and materials to ?develop and extend activities and encourage increased participation?.

Susan Lake, Lifton?s akela and group scout leader, said they had bid for the money for a mixture of arts and crafts materials and scientific and exploratory materials.

There are 14 cubs and 5 scouts in the group and Susan said the craft purchases would enable them to have a greater variety of activities and of a better standard ? ?rather than old loo rolls?.

Included in the scientific apparatus would be nets and viewfinders for pond dipping and beach visits.

They will also be purchasing a digital camera to record what they do.

?With a normal camera, money is wasted if they take a picture of the floor by accident. But with a digital camera they can take all the photos they want. It will also provide an opportunity to show other people, including parents, what we have been doing,? Susan said.

At the other end of the age range, West Dartmoor University of the Third Age has won £3,929 to fund ?presentation equipment for use in seminars and courses in the education of middle aged and older people in Tavistock and the surrounding area who are not in full-time employment?.

The West Dartmoor U3A, which has more than 200 members, will use its grant to buy a multimedia projector and a screen to enhance its group activities, which range from calligraphy to Spanish.

Branch chairman June Wildman said: ?We are thrilled to get this award today.

?The money will enable us to afford new equipment which will both increase the quality and broaden the range of our presentations.?

And Okehampton College has been awarded almost £5,000 to develop their extra-curricular athletics sessions and to involve primary school children as well.

The Awards for All grant of £4,930 announced last week will allow physical education staff to hold regular athletics sessions at the college.

However, the money is also intended to encourage older students and adults to become qualified to coach and deliver these athletics sessions.