WREN Music, Okehampton Duke of Edinburgh Awards and West Devon Junior Life Skills are among the latest organisations to benefit from Okehampton Town Council's grant aid scheme.

The council granted the three organisations the maximum £500 on offer at its latest policy and resources meeting on Monday.

Wren Music will use the money to continue its programme of workshops and projects in the town.

Town mayor Cllr the Rev Mike Davies said: 'Wren Music do a lot of wonderful work within the town, and are well worth the £500 they have requested.'

The annual West Devon Junior Life Skills event teaches all Year 6 pupils from across West Devon vital new skills to keep themselves and others safe.

Taking place at Okehampton Camp, youngsters face different simulated scenarios, learning to recognise danger and how to deal with emergency situations.

Having visited the event last year, the town mayor was very supportive of the application. He said: 'The event tests children with scenarios. The most important thing I saw there last year was with Okehampton firefighters.

'One of the scenarios saw children confronted with a fat fire on an oven.

'It showed to me that this service is potentially saving lives, and it seems a no-brainer to support them with this donation.'

Okehampton Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme has requested its donation be put towards the purchase of new equipment.

The council also decided to donate £1,000 to the North Dartmoor Search and Rescue Team to help it complete the purchase of its building.

The team has to complete the purchase of its new base at Exeter Road Industrial Estate by November. The town council decided that due to the pressing time limit, it would donate the £1,000 requested —double the usual £500 limit.

Cllr Kevin Ball said: 'I don't think anyone would jump up and down at us giving £1,000 in this exceptional case. The team is well respected and well thought of.

'As long as it is made clear this is an exceptional case, and we are choosing to give more for that reason, then everyone can agree they are a worthwhile cause.

'They could be helping any one of us or people we know soon.'

The council also decided to release £5,000 from a separate allocation of funding to support the Ockment Centre.

The council received a letter from centre manager Lindsey Svensson stating that the Job Centre has a home at the centre for the 'foreseeable future' and the Friday work club has funding until September, but that the town council's contribution 'remains vital' to battle rising running costs.