Project comes up trumps with its lottery bid

Tavistock and District Conservation Project has been told it is to get a National Lottery grant of £131,000 over the next three years.

In February this year the group was in danger of closing down because of delays in processing the grants by the National Lottery Charities Board.

George Swayne, the group's treasurer, said: 'We are very grateful to local people for helping the project over the past two months of uncertainty.

'More than a thousand pounds was donated to the project during this time, and we had lots of encouragement from supporters and from our MP, John Burnett.'

The conservation project, which has been caring for the local environment for ten years, applied in July last year for a renewal of its lottery grant and was promised a decision by December.

Then the decision was postponed several times, and in February the group warned it was running out of money, with three staff to pay, a minibus to run, and office overheads. Now the grant has been promised towards its £230,000 budget for the next three years.

However, celebrations have been muted because of the foot and mouth outbreak. Mr Swayne said: 'Livestock grazing is central to countryside conservation in the Tavistock area, and the consequences are potentially appalling.'

Most of the group's worksites, covering farmland and footpaths, are out of bounds at present.

The conservation project has been responsible for work on paths such as the Tamar Valley Trail, the Two Castles Trail, and the Tavistock Viaduct Walk.