AN Okehampton charity working with learning disabled adults has been given a Lottery-funded grant for its next major project.

On July 14 the Big Lottery Fund awarded more than £25-million to 736 community groups across England to help improve the lives of people.

One of these groups was Get Changed Theatre Company, an Okehampton-based charity working with adults with learning disabilities.

Christine Munkenbeck, the chairman of Get Changed, said: ‘We were so delighted to find out that we had been given the Big Lottery grant.

‘This enables us to develop our Get Changed in Wonderland project, which is an 18-month festival tour commemorating the 150th anniversary of the publication of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

‘The grant of £9,800 will be used to fund the Dance into Wonderland dance production, part of the project.

‘Rehearsing and performing the dance production will help our participants improve their wellbeing, develop more practical skills and build confidence.’

Get Changed Theatre Company, founded in Okehampton in 1995, works with adults with learning disabilities and mental health problems using role play and performing arts techniques to develop life skills and confidence.

It promotes social inclusion and empowers people to realise their full potential.

Its work is led by participants and is designed to inspire, entertain and educate public audiences.

The group has already performed abridged pieces of Alice’s Adventures in four different festivals this summer and all of them have been well received by the audiences.

The group also put on a performance of the production at the Ockment Centre earlier this month to celebrate the opening of the centre’s refurbished Dartmoor Room.

The Dance into Wonderland production will be showcased at Holifair next month and at Exeter Respect Festival in June 2016.

You can find out more about Get Changed and its performances at www.getchanged.com