ORGANISATIONS in Okehampton will be celebrating a funding boost this month after the town council gave grant applications the green light at its meeting last week.
Okehampton Excelsior Silver Band is to be granted £1,000 towards the £5,000 the band needs to buy new jackets.
Des Law, musical director of the band, told the council: ?Our present uniform has been in use since the early 1970s and some of the jackets date back from that time.
?Although we do replace them from time to time, the overall appearance of our uniform is not only worn and faded, but also in need of modernisation.?
Mr Law said the band planned to keep the trousers and hats, but jackets were likely to cost about £200 each.
He said as ambassadors for the town, the appearance of the band was important and he hoped the council would be able to help towards the cost of replacing the uniform.
Cllr Christine Marsh, mayor of Okehampton, said: ?They do a lot of events, like the D-Day commemorations coming soon, lots of parades ? they did a musical evening last week that was for the hospice and they do support other charities as well.?
Cllr Frances Luxton said: ?We have to support them, because they do support the town. They are ambassadors ? I think it?s a good cause.?
1st Okehampton Girl Guides will be able to buy new tents and equipment with their £800 grant, enabling the group to take part in a camping trip this summer.
Alison Dennis told the council that around 27 guides regularly attended weekly meetings, the running costs of which were covered by subscriptions and fundraising events.
Mrs Dennis said: ?This year, we endeavour to take the children away on a camping trip. We feel this is a good learning experience for them, as it teaches them responsibility and general self-reliance, as well as having a lot of fun ? and indeed, for some individuals, their only holiday.?
Mrs Dennis said the guides paid for the trip themselves, but inevitably, some were unable to afford the trip.
?We do our best to help these parents as we feel that it is of great benefit for them all to be included, but we do have limited funds,? said Mrs Dennis.
Cllr Pat Snell proposed the guides should be granted £800.
?We gave the scouts £1,000 last year for their hut,? she said.
A request from the town?s sports organisation OCRA to help fund the annual Sportsweek to the tune of around £1,000 was deferred, after councillors agreed they needed a financial breakdown of the costs involved in staging the event.