Hundreds of thousands distributed to the community
Okehampton United Charity and Okehampton Educational Foundation have had a busy 2017 awarding grants of in excess of £350,000 to support people and groups in Okehampton and the Hamlets (Brightley, Southcott, Meldon and Stockley)
The trustees meet monthly and have given grants in 2017 to local groups to support their annual running costs, one-off events and projects, new equipment, room hire and much more. Some of the projects the charity has contributed to in 2017 is building the ‘Men in Sheds’ shed, a family counselling service, art workshops and Okehampton Carnival. A few of the other groups supported in 2017 are OCRA, Wren, Turning Tides, Living free, the Ockment Centre and Young Devon. In total Okehampton United Charity has supported nearly 40 local groups in 2017.
Okehampton Educational Foundation has continued to support Okehampton College and Okehampton Primary School with annual allocations. The Music Project run by Community Links has grown in 2017 and the developing skills of the young musicians were on display during their concert in December.
Okehampton Educational Foundation also supports Okehampton youngsters to further their education post 16. Okehampton Educational Foundation has awarded 120 scholarships and bursaries to local youngsters studying subjects as varied as electrical apprenticeships, zoo management and medicine. Almost any subject you can think of is being studied by a young person from Okehampton or the Hamlets.
Okehampton United Charity also has two almshouses and three allotment sites (Castle Road, North Street and Fatherford Road) and Ball Hill Woods, which are all managed and maintained by the charity.
The charity hosted a celebration evening in December inviting all the local groups they had supported in the past two years to get together to enjoy an evening of networking with music and entertainment from local groups.
If you would like to know more about Okehampton United Charity or Okehampton Educational Foundation please visit the charity’s website at www.okehamptoncharities.org.uk or email Karen Percival (the clerk) at clerk@okehamptoncharities.org.uk.