More than £6,000 of Ottery St Mary town funds have been dished out to local organisations as part of the town council’s grants scheme.

Members approved 13 out of 18 applications at December’s full council meeting, as well as rubber stamping a decision to continue to support the Citizens’ Advice Bureau service.

A total of £6,450 was awarded to groups in the Otter Valley - £3,000 more than last year:

• £2,500 will be awarded to the Carnival Committee to go towards the general running of the tar barrels.

• £550 to Ottery in Bloom to pay for plants and materials.

• £500 to the United Reformed Church for urgent repairs to the building’s roof.

• £500 to the Tipton Community Hall’s computer group, to help pay for new PCs and repair of old ones.

• £350 to the Tipton St John Residents’ Association, to go towards new plants to for the village’s planters and hanging baskets.

• £350 to the Twinning Association to help pay for a civic reception when French twinners visit next year, and a commemoratory plaque in the German twin-town of Ilsfeld.

• £350 to the Coleridge memorial project to print new ‘Coleridge Link’ walking route books.

• £250 to the Ottery Community Theatre to purchase new stage equipment.

• £250 to the Pixie Day Committee to pay for entertainment during the event.

• £250 to Tipton Community Hall centenary celebrations fund.

• £200 to the Ottregians Over 60s Club to help with the club’s running costs and coach hire.

• £200 to Vision.OM to help pay for organising a monthly meeting for partially sighted people living in the area.

• £100 to Ottery Men’s Forum to help pay fees and expenses for speakers at their meetings.

• £100 to the Tipton Times to upgrade their computer to help with easier printing.

Councillors rejected applications from The King’s School, Ottery Flower Club and the Busy Otters Pre-School, saying the project either did not benefit the community enough or that funding could be better secured from other sources.