COMMUNITY arts organisation the Wren Trust, which is based in Okehampton, is set to benefit from £25,000 of Devon County Council investment for the next financial year, aimed at developing the cultural life of the area for the benefit of residents and visitors. The investment for Wren is among a £400,000 budget which will benefit organisations countywide who span a wide range of disciplines, including theatre, dance, music, visual arts, crafts and media. Wren stages workshops, performances and festivals, and acts as a collector of oral history, folk music and songs of national importance. Co-founder of the Okehampton charity Marilyn Tucker said the money was a good validation of what Wren was doing: 'We have managed to secure funding from Devon County Council for the next two years and the indication is we will have more for the following two years, albeit at a reduced amount. 'We have a turnover of £250,000 annually, because we have a full-time professional team and we also have other professional musicians working for us out and about throughout the county.' Devon county's executive member for culture Cllr Sheila Hobden said: 'Wren music plays a unique part in Devon's cultural life and I am delighted the council has been able to continue funding its important work.' Wren stages the annual Baring Gould Festival and is just beginning work on the Okehampton Songtales community play project, which it hopes will involve many members of the community.
