FASCINATING life stories of older people in West Devon are being shared with the public, thanks to a cash boost for a befriending service.

Tavistock Area Support Services' (TASS) Befriending Service has been awarded a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund to record the life stories of older people living in Tavistock and the surrounding areas, and to encourage local school children to learn about these lives.

The inspiration for the project came from the compelling stories told to TASS befrienders by the elderly people they visit.

TASS has already recorded the stories of eight people whose experiences include growing up in Tavistock in the 20s and 30s, experiences during the Second World War as a bomber pilot, RAF photographer, a fire warden during the Plymouth Blitz and a church army social worker in Liverpool and London. Stories of sheep farming on Dartmoor and a crime reporter in London's East End in the 50s have also been recorded.

Andy Lyle, manager at TASS, said: 'It is important for future generations to have these experiences recorded from first-hand accounts. Each person's life is unique and the generation which began school writing with dip-in ink pens and now uses e-mail and iPads has much to recall.'

Trained volunteers use a voice recorder to record the stories they are told. Each story is then typed up and returned to the story-teller to be checked. When the recordings are completed, the typed-up transcripts are given to a narrator to be recorded onto CD.

Andy said: 'The grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund will enable an exhibition to be prepared to take around the villages and all the materials produced will become a permanent archive for our local communities.

'We also plan to encourage school children to think about what they can record for their future children and grandchildren.'

TASS will be recruiting and training volunteers to visit people to make the recordings, to produce materials for exhibition and to give talks to local community groups and in schools. TASS is also looking for people who have stories to tell.

If you, or a friend or relative, have experiences you would like to share, or you would like to find out more about the life stories project and how you can help, contact Val Vines at [email protected]">[email protected] or call 01822 852749.