THE residents of Shaugh Prior have brand new bowls equipment, after a presentation as part of the Devon Active Villages scheme. The village has been getting fit and healthy after a short mat bowls group set up a taster session in the village hall earlier in the year, with help from the parish council and the Bowls Development Alliance.

The presentation of the bowls equipment coincided with a visit to the area by Jennie Price, chief executive officer for Sport England.

Devon Active Villages is a development programme funded by Devon County Council, Sport England and Active Devon, which supports village communities in Devon to provide long term, sustainable sports participation opportunities.

Tone is delivering the project in the South Hams area and Ben Ayres, their Active Villages Community Coordinator said: 'A group of residents from Shaugh Prior have always wanted to have a Short Mat Bowls Club in the parish hall but due to the financial barriers of purchasing equipment have been unable to fulfill this ambition. It has been great to work with a number of partners bringing resources together in order to break down these barriers and get this activity up and running.'