A DAWLISH charity has been awarded a share of more than £500,000 to support a new training initiative.

Dawlish Community Transport is part of a Devon-wide partnership developing a ‘Stonger Together’ project aimed at creating opportunities for improving skills.

It is one of 13 projects being supported by Devon County Council’s successful bid to the Government’s Community Renewal Fund.

Announced in November, the county was granted £9.3 million, the largest funding allocation in the UK. The investment is supporting the 13 innovative projects, including a range of employment and training, environmental and community investment.

In total, the £9.3m programme is expected to help 3,500 people to enter new training opportunities, support 350 businesses, and facilitate the creation of 800 new jobs.

Of the funding allocation, a total of £510,459 has gone to Mid Devon Mobility for the Stronger Together initiative.

The social transport and employment hybrid project, led by the Mid Devon Mobility VCS, working in collaboration with TRIP CTA, Dawlish CTA and Ivybridge Ring and Ride, supports individuals from harder to reach backgrounds in rural areas to access employment opportunities.

The project will provide a new Give Back Scheme enabling both long and short-term volunteering opportunities, upskilling, accredited training and improve connectivity focusing on re-employability across Devon.

Sally Preston, manager of Dawlish Community Transport, said: ‘We are really looking forward to working in collaboration with the three other community transport associations across Devon to deliver this project. It will bring a huge number of opportunities through training, upskilling and can support services to people, throughout the whole of Devon.

‘Our charities are known particularly for helping their older, less able and disabled communities.

‘However this project encompasses a new set of beneficiaries and is for the whole community to benefit, both younger and older.

‘We believe the project and the collaboration partnership will build for a better future for our communities we strive to serve.

‘As a community transport service in this area, we have an opportunity to support a recruitment drive of new volunteers to the charity and will offer specific courses directly related to transport.

‘These may also be of benefit not only to the wider transport groups but also individuals in our community.’

Cllr Bob Deed, chairman of the Devon Districts Forum, said: ‘The support this programme will provide, will benefit so many people across the county.

‘It’s great that so many diverse projects and businesses from all over Devon are being supported.

‘The positive impact from this scheme will hopefully benefit many of our local communities and businesses.’