CHICKS are celebrating in Tavistock after receiving an Easter nest-egg from a national grant scheme.
Charity organisation City Holidays for Inner City Kids (CHICKS) has been given a £10,000 grant by the Lloyds TSB foundation to assist with costs.
CHICKS provides all expenses paid week-long camp holidays for deprived young people from all over the UK.
This includes children in financial poverty, those living in urban and rural deprivation and young carers who need a chance to relax.
David Wynn-Jones, CHICKS general manager, said: 'We are delighted to receive this money — it will fund two camps and go a long way towards providing a third, which is marvellous.'
The organisation runs more than 40 camps a year, catering for up to 650 children in total.
Fundraiser Jenny Venning said: 'The money we have received will provide respite breaks for between 28 and 42 children — it's a tremendous boost to our funds.
'We received the grant after the Lloyds TSB foundation heard about our work — our aims as a charity match theirs as a foundation — and they sought us out to provide the grant, which is fantastic.'
Rodney Thorne, South West regional manager for the Lloyds TSB Foundation said: 'Easter is a time of new beginnings and fresh starts and we will be supporting charities working at grass roots level to improve the lives of people in local communities.
'This is our first round of donations in 2004 and our local presence means we can ensure that funding reaches the areas of greatest social need in the South West.'
In 2004 the Lloyds TSB Foundation has received £31-million to distribute to registered charities throughout the UK and grants totalling more than £1-million will be given to charities in the South West.
Other West Devon charities benefitting from donations include Little Lambs pre-school at Lamerton who were awarded £750, the same amount went to Yelverton pre-school and Bere Ferrers Parochial Church Council received £500 towards disabled access provision.