FIVE West Devon groups are celebrating, after scooping cash in the latest round of Lottery grant awards. Tavistock Museum has been awarded the maximum grant of £5,000 under the Awards for All scheme, which the local history society will use to produce a DVD. Society secretary Rod Martin said: ?We?ve always felt we needed some sort of an introduction to Tavistock for our visitors, so they can sit down and be given a ten-minute introduction, giving them some information about its history and the present day shops and facilities.? Rod said the society was ?delighted? to receive the award and paid tribute to member Linda Elliott, who had now successfully applied for three grants for the museum. Home Start West Devon has also secured £5,000 which is being used to set up two young parents? groups. Run in conjunction with Devon Youth Service, the groups give parents under the age of 21 the chance to meet once a week to exchange information and experiences about health care, parenting and other skills, as well as providing mutual support. One of the groups has already got off the ground and runs on Monday mornings in the Ockment Centre in Okehampton. Home Start West Devon is now hoping a similar group can be established in the Tavistock area. Bere Ferrers Villagers? Group has been awarded £5,000, which will go towards the project to create a children?s play park in the village?s recreation field. Sarah Mugridge said the group needed to raise about £35,000 to complete the project ? and members were delighted to have received the maximum grant from Awards for All. ?It?s given us quite a boost because it?s the first commitment we?ve had from outside funders, so it?s quite a catalyst,? said Sarah. She said the group is applying for grants from other bodies and a lot of fundraising had been organised locally. ?The response here has been brilliant,? she said. Tavistock Ju Jitsu Club has been given a grant of £4,750. Umberto Bergonzini who runs the club said he was ?over the moon? to have secured the money, which will be used to buy new mats and equipment and expand self-defence courses for women and young people. West Devon theatre company Oddbodies has been awarded £4,270. The group will use the money to buy digital equipment and a back cloth, which can be used in rural non-theatre venues such as village halls.


.jpeg?width=209&height=140&crop=209:145,smart&quality=75)

