COMMUNITY groups in the Okehampton area are celebrating cash boosts in the latest round of National Lottery Awards for All grant allocations ? funding has now topped the £20-million mark in the South West.

Lewdown Recreation Field and youth sports activities committee is one of the biggest winners in the district ? the group has been awarded £5,000 towards a new sports pavilion.

Committee member Colin Harris said the group was ?very grateful? for the grant.

?It?s certainly helping us with our pavilion, which will enable us to keep youngsters playing sport in this area,? he said.

Mr Harris said the old pavilion was in such a bad way it had to be demolished. Now the group is well on the way to achieving the £40,000 required to construct a new building, which will include showers, changing rooms, a kitchen and social area.

?It?s a self-build project ? we are having a lot of help from builders with voluntary labour, which is brilliant,? said Mr Harris, who hoped the pavilion would be up and running next summer.

The George Lambert Memorial Trust from Spreyton has also scooped a £5,000 grant.

Zoe Smith, vice-chairman, said she was delighted at the news: ?I couldn?t believe it, you could have knocked me over with a feather!

?We have a smashing new village hall now and basically we now want to buy an all-singing, all-dancing climbing frame and refurbish our swings and slides so we have a nice area for the children to play in.?

Mrs Smith said the trust was still fundraising but she had ?every confidence? the new facilities would be finished next summer.

Northlew and Ashbury Primary School has been awarded £4,900, which will pay for professional artists from Wren Trust to work with school children and the community on the village pump refurbishment project.

A big community celebration with singing, art work and refreshments will be taking place in Northlew in January.

And Okehampton Men?s Hockey Club is hoping their grant of £2,585 will help them develop links with schools in the area and encourage young people to start playing hockey and join the club.

The Awards for All scheme makes grants between £500 and £5,000 to ?grassroots? community groups and organisations.

Acting senior awards officer, Raymond Moore, said: ?Although more than 50% of those applying for an award are successful, the competition is strong and demand on our budget for the region is higher than ever.?

Mr Moore said the latest round of awards should extend local access and participation, increase skills and creativity and improve quality of life for people in West Devon.

To apply for a grant, call 0845 600 20 40 or visit the website at http://www.awardsforall.org.uk">www.awardsforall.org.uk