DO you want to start cycling in Chagford? Set up netball in North Tawton? How about line dancing in Lamerton?

If you want to promote any kind of sports, dance or fitness activities, the Active Villages scheme wants to hear from you.

Active Villages is a countywide programme seeking to increase sports participation in Devon's rural communities by helping villages develop active pursuits, encouraging everyone to enjoy the benefits of being active.

In the pilot phase, Okehampton Community Recreational Association (OCRA) is currently delivering multi-skill and multi-sport sessions for children in Hatherleigh and Lifton, with between 30 and 40 youngsters participating in each area.

Other activities planned include a range of sports at a local youth club, an adults' social netball night and improving access to water sports for people from Lifton.

The project is now expanding as phase one welcomes Chagford, North Tawton, Lamerton and Dartmoor Forest on board.

Active Villages are now keen to hear from individuals and groups about sports and activities they would like to see in the community. The scheme can help set up new activities, or promote and assist existing groups.

An OCRA spokesman said: 'This is a great opportunity for people of all ages to enjoy a wide range of fun sports and activities with family and friends in their own community.'

It is hoped the scheme will work in more than 150 parishes with between 500 and 2,000 people over the next three years.

Funded by Devon County Council and Sport England lottery, the Active Villages scheme is co-ordinated by Active Devon and delivered in West Devon by Okehampton Community Recreational Association (OCRA) and West Devon Borough Council.

If you have suggestions for activities you would like to see in your area, contact OCRA by email on [email protected]">[email protected] or telephone 01837 54546.

More information on the scheme is available at the website http://www.activevillages">www.activevillages.

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