Parishes Together scheme is now closed and will be extended to become Communities Together Fund

More than £100,000 has been awarded to community projects in East Devon in the past year, thanks to Parishes Together Fund.

The money for 34 schemes has been provided by the county and district councils.

The two authorities worked together, for the sixth year running, to put £1.10 per elector into the fund - £1 from the county council and 10p from EDDC

The fund, managed by East Devon District Council, was designed to provide financial solutions to local issues. Town and parish councils could work together to apply for a grant for their own projects, or they could apply on behalf of community projects from other organizations.

Over the six years the fund has run, the two councils have granted more than £600,000 to a wide variety of community projects.

The Parishes Together Fund is now closed. The two councils are working on providing similar amounts of funding through their new Communities Together Fund, which will work in a different way and the details are currently being worked on.

Examples of some of the successful town and parish council projects from April 2017 to March 2018 were:

• £2,500 towards Christmas lights in Axminster, a project from Axminster Town Council and All Saints and Chardstock Parish Councils.

• £7,482 towards providing a number of community heli-pads accessible to Axminster, All Saints, Chardstock, Kilmington, Plymtree, Talaton, Broadhembury and Payhembury so the Devon Air Ambulance can land in the dark.

• Over £10,000 towards community defibrillators the public can access and use including at Dunkeswell and Combpyne Rousdon.

• £3,500 towards Seaton and Axmouth getting and installing new brown tourism signs to attract visitors.

• £340 for Colyton and Northleigh to put in some cycle racks so residents can park their bikes safely.

Councillor Phil Twiss, chairman of the fund said: “I have been very proud to be involved… we’ve helped East Devon’s town and parish councils to fund very worthy community projects that otherwise may well not have happened.”

County Council Leader Cllr John Hart said: “By changing the name of the fund to Communities Together, we’re also inviting community groups as well as our parish and town council partners to apply for funding.”