COMMUNITY groups across Sedgemoor are celebrating after £40,000 of funding was distributed by Sedgemoor District Council.

The council decided £8,000 of grant funding and £32,000 of RLT3 funding at its recent Grants Committee meeting.

The grants included:

• £2,500 to Mark Moor Bowling Club for extension to facilities in order to lengthen the main hall for short mat bowling, improve kitchen facilities, toilet access, enlarge the changing room, improve storage and improve disabled toilets.

• £500 to Olivia Cox who is representing South West Girl guiding and Somerset at an international trip to Canada.

• £225 to Jennifer Marshall who will be competing at Acrogymnastics for Monarchs GC and has been selected to compete as part of the team representing the UK in Germany.

• £2,500 to Kings of Wessex Parent Teachers Association to help the school equestrian team compete at the national school equestrian association championships to be held in October.

• £1,000 to Exmoor Search and Rescue team who are primarily a volunteer organisation which assists police in locating lost or missing persons and recovering the injured or ill from remote locations over area extending from the River Parrett to Bude.

The grant will be used to purchase 12 sets of flood response Personal Protective Equipment. This will allow a further 12 team members to enter flood water and assist in the recovery of people trapped in properties affected by floodwater.

There were also three applications for RLT3 funds (developer contributions held by Sedgemoor District Council for Outdoor Sport) approved £7,000 to Middlezoy Parish Council to resurface the existing car park, £20,000 towards outdoor gym equipment in Durleigh, Bridgwater. and £5,600 to Eastover Park Bowls Club towards installation of central heating in the pavilion and erection of two canopies either side of the pavilion.

For details of all the small grants awarded by Sedgemoor District Council in this, and previous, budget years and details of the 16/17 scheme please visit: http://www.sedgemoor.gov.uk/grants.