Scouts in Ottery will receive up to £8,000 towards disabled facilities at their proposed new headquarters after successfully applying for community building cash.

The group has been trying to hit its £90,000 target to redevelop its home at its site in Winters Lane, and has put on a range of fundraising activities.

Scout leader John Green said this cash will allow building work to begin in the summer, something they need to do to make sure they don’t lose previously allocated funding.

The money comes from a grants scheme set up by the Community Council of Devon offering up to £20,000 to local building projects, with up to £5,000 of match-funding from the district council.

The funding for Ottery Scouts will go towards creating disabled facilities, storage and a small meeting room in the redesigned building.

Mr Green said part of the group’s aim is to open their headquarters up more to community use, and hopes the money to create two usable rooms will help this.

They are up to around £70,000 in their fundraising drive, but part of the money pledged has to be used this year, so the scouts are hoping to crack on with the building work as soon as possible, aiming to be finished by September.