A new community grants fund created by Prince William is giving Princetown area residents, groups and employers a royal boost.

The £250,000 fund is designed to give people and organisations in and around Princetown the chance to turn local ideas into practical projects to strengthen village life and create long-term benefit for the community.

The fund has been created by the Duchy of Cornwall, following conversations with residents, community groups and local partners, to understand what people want for the future of Princetown.

His fund comes at an important time for the area after fears arose for the local economy when the Dartmoor National Park visitor centre and Dartmoor Prison closed. The prison shut temporarily due to the presence of the potentially harmful radon gas.

Prince William’s Duchy of Cornwall estate owns a sizeable chunk of Dartmoor, the prison (rented to the government) and the visitor centre. The visitor centre has been reopened by the Duchy as a community focused enterprise (Gather & Moor), supporting local businesses with a cafe and shop selling Dartmoor crafts.

The community fund is coming from the £1.5 million per annum prison rent which the Duchy is redirecting to help Princetown. Prince William (as the Duke of Cornwall) has decided to plough this money into the local community rather than keeping it himself, in recognition of the impact of the prison closure on Princetown’s residents and businesses.

A Duchy spokesman said: “This community fund is focused on supporting the ideas, energy and creativity that already exist within the village.

“Consultations and conversations with the community over the past 12 months revealed a strong shared ambition for Princetown’s future.

“The fund is designed to help local people take practical steps towards that vision by supporting projects that bring people together, celebrate what makes Princetown distinctive and create lasting benefit.”

Applicants can apply for two types of grants. Small grants are available from £500 to £5,999 for smaller-scale projects, including ideas that expand the reach of an existing group or activity. There will be a monthly rolling assessment panel for these grants, up until the end of February 2027.

The large grants programme will be for amounts from £6,000 to £40,000 and is for larger projects that reach significant numbers of people in Princetown and continue to have an impact after the funding ends. The deadline for this fund is Tuesday, December 15.

The funds should include many of the following aims. To try something new, test a new idea, activity or approach that benefits the whole community, something developed and led by people in Princetown.

Bring people together by reducing isolation, building connections and creating chances for people of all ages, children, young people, families and older residents, to take part and thrive.

Celebrate local history and identity by sharing Princetown's history, art, culture or heritage, and get people talking about what matters most for the village's future.

Connect people with Dartmoor by helping residents and visitors enjoy and care for the landscape, improve access to Dartmoor, or balance the needs of the community, visitors and nature.

And finally leave something lasting by building skills, confidence, relationships or facilities that will keep benefiting Princetown long after the funding ends.

Find out more, and apply, at this Devon Communities Together web link: https://www.devoncommunities.org.uk/.../princetown...