PRINCETOWN FC was 'over the moon' this week, after being awarded £50,000 to create its own home football ground in the village.

The money comes from the National Lottery in the latest round of Sport England's Protecting Playing Fields fund grants to bring disused playing fields back into use, improve existing sites or create new sports pitches.

The club was one of five sports clubs in the South West to share the benefit of a £225,000 Olympic legacy windfall from Sport England.

It will mean villagers will no longer need to make a 16-mile round trip to play football at Tavistock sports pitches for their games in Plymouth and West Devon Saturday Combination League division four.

Princetown FC plans to have football pitches in the village for both senior and junior sides at their new home ground.

They will lease the ground off its owners, the Duchy of Cornwall.

Club secretary Anna Homden said: 'We currently have no sports facilities and in a very rural and deprived area that's made it incredibly hard for people to get involved in sport.

'Having our own pitch will help our young residents to take up sport and will honestly change lives.

'It's a dream come true. We can't thank Sport England and the lottery enough.'

Anna said a big thank you to all those who helped in the application for the grant, especially Mike Carpenter, the club's volunteer mentor from the national charity Sported.

Also delighted was club treasurer Simon Stones.

He said: 'This is great news but not just for Princetown FC but for the whole of the village community.

'The WI will be able to use the new facilities and have already challenged us to a charity rounders match when its ready.

'The new pitches. although mainly for the football club sides, will also make a huge difference for Princetown School to use as a rugby pitch and sports ground.'

The club has already made considerable inroads into raising money for their home pitch.

£5,000 came last year from The England Footballers Foundation; £12,000 from Sported and smaller grants from West Devon Borough Council, Dartmoor Parish Council and the Active Villages projects.

Dartmoor Brewery also provided sponsorship for a home and away kits.

All five playing fields which benefited from the grant will also be protected from developers for at least 25 years, creating an enduring benefit for sport.

Sport England's chairman, Richard Lewis, said: 'These investments will transform the local pitches where many young people have their first experience of sport.

'With all of these playing fields safe from development for at least a generation, communities across the South West can look forward to years of sporting enjoyment.'