A WEST Devon village has scooped an early Christmas present with an award of almost £9,000 under the Millennium Festival Awards Scheme, writes Jane Honey.

Mary Tavy recreation field improvement committee is celebrating a £5,000 grant which will go towards improvement facilities at the field.

Alastair Grindey, secretary of Mary Tavy field improvement committee, said: 'We're very pleased, it's going to be a great help. The award will fund part of a bigger scheme for an outside basketball area and enhancement of the play area.'

Mr Grindey said the committee aims to refurbish the tennis court area at the field to create a multi-sports area for netball, basketball and five-a-side football, and to give the changing rooms a make-over.

'The village was given the field in the 1940s after the war — since then very little has been spent on it, and we are just trying to catch up a bit,' he said.

'What we are also doing with the parish council is putting in a Millennium sundial outside the village hall near a patio we are going to build — we are hoping the borough council will give us some money for that.'

The committee needs to raise £60,000 to reach its ambitious target and is approaching other bodies for grant aid.

It has produced a Millennium calendar featuring photographs of local buildings and landmarks, which it is selling at £3 each from Bradford and Bingley estate agents in Tavistock.

And Mary Tavy Coronation Hall committee's coffers have been boosted by £3,700, which is being used to repair a damaged section of roof at the hall.

John Lamerton, secretary of the Coronation Hall committee said: 'We are delighted with the award — it has saved us an awful lot of anxiety.

'We have got a flat roof which is always going to be a problem, as flat roofs are.

'There are leaks occurring , most importantly over the store room — this grant will allow us to complete the operation, the main body of which we did some years ago at enormous expense.'

Mr Lamerton said completing the work was 'very important' to the security of the hall and equipment kept inside the store rooms which includes those belonging to the youth club, play group and pantomime group.

The hall has been decorated recently in association with Devon Probation Service — once the roof and some double glazing is installed, the work will be complete.

'It's very nice to have this money — particularly as we are getting well ahead with rehearsals for our pantomime in February,' said Mr Lamerton.