From Janet Kipling, Exeter 383654, January 23, 2008

Young people in Ottery St Mary are celebrating after receiving news that funding for a new Skate Park has been approved.

The young people, from The Station Youth Centre in the Town, have been campaigning for the new facility for two and a half years. Planning permission for the site near The Kings School has already been given.

Now they have secured a £38,000 grant from Devon County Council's Youth Capital Fund, which gives them enough cash to start the project. Fundraising will continue towards a goal of around £150,000.

Other money for the Park has included £10,000 from the Ottery Town Council, £1,500 from local churches and £1,000 from the Co-op.

The Youth Capital Fund is run by Devon County Council's Youth Bank. Council money is set aside to be allocated to young people's projects by a panel of young people.

Devon County Council Executive Member for Children and Young People's Services, Cllr John Smith, said: "The young people have done a wonderful job in making this project happen, working extremely enthusiastically and effectively with the help of the adult committee members. The Devon County Council Youth Bank is run by young people for young people, for exactly this sort of project."

Elli Pang, Secretary of the Skate Park Committee: "This will be a big

Skate Park which is up to competition standard. We have enjoyed lots of support from the Kings School, who will also use it for their curriculum activities as it is only a matter of time before skateboarding and BMX biking becoming Olympic sports."

Work is scheduled to start in the near future.

Ottery St Mary Councillor Roger Giles said: "This is really wonderful news for the young people of Ottery. I've been doing what I can to get a Skate Park provided for them for a long time, and now that we've heard that the grant and the planning permission have got the go-ahead ahead I really hope that this facility that the young people of Ottery deserve will become a reality in the near future."