INITIATIVES ranging from family workshops to salting the roads won vital funding when Dulverton residents were given a say in how to spend a community pot of cash.

Eight local authorities spend more than £10 million a year in the town so the Avon and Somerset police, local councils, Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Authority, Exmoor National Park, Magna West Somerset Housing Association and health services agreed to invest in a participatory budgeting project called 'Sensible Spending'.

Together, they allocated £10,000 and in an event lasting three hours, 70 representatives from 15 different community organisations voted how the money should be spent.

Requests for funding ranged from a swimming pool pump to improvements to sports facilities, and every group left with a share of the cash to be used over the next 12 months for their chosen projects.

Organisers ensured fairness by group decision-making and a ban on groups voting for their own bids.

Ken Warren, one of the organisers, said it had been a delight to see so many people listening to each other's presentations and deciding how to divide the money up fairly.

And West Somerset councillor Keith Ross said: "This is localism in action."

Dulverton Fellowship for Mental Health, which secured a £500 grant, gave up some of its funds to help the church and tennis club with their bids, so young people at the youth club set about organising a fundraiser for mental health.

Dulverton mayor Cllr Chris Nelder said: "This has been a great day seeing local democracy at work.

"Perhaps local people could play a more active role in deciding priorities in future."

And Leslie Silverlock, who also helped organise the event, said public services were prepared to support the Sensible Spending initiative because it was good value for money.

"Local people have good ideas, know what will work well in their town and can see ways to save waste and unnecessary expenditure," he said.

The community voting resulted in £550 being allocated to a new family workshop offering creative activities and new skills and £600 to pay Somerset County Council to salt Amory Road to the schools and surgery.

A £1,000 grant to the town's youth club will pay to staff 20 two-hour sessions for seven to ten-year-olds and involve older members in peer mentoring and the development of wider social skills.

Dulverton's Gardening Club was awarded £250 to create a junior flower, produce and craft show, while Dulverton Middle School secured £1,000 to cover the cost of a replacement swimming pool heat pump.

A further £1,000 was earmarked for a new set of cricket covers for Dulverton Cricket Club and the same amount was awarded to the Dulverton Development Forum to bring professional touring companies, such as the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, to the town hall.

Dulverton Football Club won £500 to improve the condition of its pitch, with Dulverton Folk Festival awarded £350 to increase activities for children.

A £550 grant went to Dulverton Dance to provide exercise and dance and trips to dance events for older people, while cash-strapped children's charity CLOWNS gained £1,000 to continue its work in the town.

The Exmoor Community Bus Association was awarded £500 to provide a 5p a mile subsidy on the high rate for local people.

And Dulverton Congregational Church and Dulverton Tennis Club received each £600 that will go towards the cost of installing an eco-friendly efficient heating system in the church hall and the repainting of courts and essential maintenance of fencing at the tennis club.