Art and culture projects in Cranbrook, Axminster, Seaton and Stockland are among those receiving grants from the Creative East Devon Fund.

The grant scheme is part of East Devon District Council's Cultural Strategy, and the funding aims to support creative projects that also improve people’s lives in various ways; for example, by tackling environmental/social/economic issues or providing activities for young people.

The total funding amounted to £31,869, with 14 projects receiving grants ranging from £3,000 to £800.

A £3,000 grant has been awarded to Cranbrook’s Youth Arts & Health Trust for a pilot scheme using arts activities to improve the mental wellbeing of children at Cranbrook Education Campus and Cranbrook Community Hub.

Laura Blatherwick from the Trust said: “This funding will enable us to work with children and young people in Cranbrook who we have not yet reached, and also to hear from them directly what they would like us to provide more of in their local area.  We are really excited about collaborating with new as well as existing partners in East Devon and working towards some creative and beneficial projects which we can co-design with young people.”

The Community Waffle House CIC, based in Axminster, has been awarded £2,856 for its Community Gamer project, building on an existing pilot to reach young people through games clubs and events and tackle loneliness within the gaming community.

The Stockland Past and Present Project, led by Wendy Van der Plank with Stockland Parochial Church Council, will receive £1,000. They will work with local historian and author Bryan Drew, collecting photographs, documents and stories from the community for an exhibition in March and a folk concert.

Wendy Van der Plank said: “We are so excited that our project bid was successful. It will gather people from all the different parts of the community together to explore more of Stockland’s rich local history by creating an exhibition culminating in a special celebratory concert to be enjoyed by all ages. We hope it will also form part of a lasting archive for local people.”

Word Kitchen with Dunkeswell Youth Club has been awarded £1,484 for a literary and performance project, involving writing workshops and open-mic sessions. Whimple History Society receives £869 for new display boards about the Hogarth Puppets and Muffin the Mule; the puppeteers who created Muffin the Mule lived in Whimple, where they had a puppet theatre and put on shows nationally and internationally.