FOUR good causes in Okehampton have benefited to the tune of tens of thousands of pounds each with the winding up of a charity created more than a century ago to help needy people in the town.

A total of £160,000 has been distributed with the closure of Holditch and Others, a charitable pot originally set up in 1905 to help people in the parish through hard times.

Okehampton District Community Transport Group has received a grant of £40,000 towards a new minibus while Okehampton College has been awarded £58,000 to convert a building to provide extra support to children who cannot attend classes for various reasons. This is to be established as the Holditch Centre within the college’s new Wardhayes sixth form campus and means children will no longer have to travel elsewhere to get that support.

Meanwhile £32,000 is going to Okehampton’s young people’s counselling service Tor Support Services while Okehampton Age Concern has received £30,000 to support their essential services in Okehampton.

Charles Letchford, chairman of the trustees, said the decision to close the Holditch charity had been made ‘very reluctantly’ as the number of applications it received had declined sharply in recent years.

Originally set up for ‘the supply in sickness of medicines, medical comforts, extra bedding and fuel’ in a time before the Welfare State, it has in more recent years given financial help to pensioners on low incomes and young people to help fund training and apprenticeships.

Mr Letchford said: ‘For some years now the charity has been giving a financial grant, normally at Christmas time but available throughout the year, to persons in receipt of the state pension and other criteria.

‘Grants continued to be available to persons under the age of 24 entering apprenticeships or training. However despite the best efforts of the trustees to publicise the assistance available the number of applicants for grants has steadily decreased from over 30 applicants ten years ago to 12 last year.

‘There have been very few applications by young persons for assistance with apprenticeship or training costs. In order to spend income surplus to that required for grants to individuals the charity has been awarding small grants to local charities and organisations which assist the elderly or vulnerable persons.’

He added: ‘In view of the steady decline of applicants and the costs involved in administering the charity the trustees decided to close the charity and distribute its endowed funds of £160,000 between four selected local charities and organisations which, taken together, best reflect the original aims of the charity.’