Parishes Together Fund lights up Exmouth and Honiton

Did you enjoy Exmouth and Honiton’s exciting new Christmas lights?

These were thanks to a joint project from Exmouth and Honiton Town Councils and mainly funded by East Devon District Council and Devon County Council through their Parishes Together Fund.

The money has been used to purchase, test and put up the festive street lights and decorate and put up the town’s Christmas trees. It will also fund the storage of the lights for a year. The lights will be swapped between the towns to provide a fresh display each year.

£36,700 of the funding needed for the £43,600 project came from the Parishes Together Fund. Designed to provide financial solutions to local issues, the Parishes Together Fund is a joint East Devon District Council and Devon County Council initiative in which the sum of £1.10 per elector - £1 from Devon County Council and 10p from EDDC - in each parish is put into a central pot, which parish and town councils can then apply to for funding towards community projects.

Whilst Honiton Town Council and the Honiton Chamber of Commerce had already given this project a much-needed kick start and Coombe Estates donated a Christmas tree, a joint venture between Exmouth and Honiton has ensured that both towns are now fully illuminated. In Exmouth extra funding was obtained from the Town Council, Exmouth Christmas Lights Committee and a Locality Grant from the Exmouth Devon County Councillor along with the Christmas tree being donated by King’s Garden Centre.

Quite a few of East Devon’s town and parish council’s haven’t yet applied to the Parishes Together Fund this financial year, the final closing date is 8 February 2017. Applications have to come from town and parish councils, but voluntary and community groups, schools and other organisations can put their ideas forward to their town or parish council. You can find out more about the fund online: eastdevon.gov.uk/grants-and-funding/parishes-together-fund

East Devon District Councillor Tom Wright Chairman of the Parishes Together Fund said: “We were very pleased to be able to give some funding to this worthy project. I would like to say a big well done to Honiton and Exmouth Town Council’s for working so hard to make this project happen! I would encourage all of East Devon’s town and parish councils that haven’t already applied this year to apply to the Parishes Together Fund.”