COMMUNITY groups in Stratton have been given a boost after receiving generous donations from councillors.

The Stratton St. Margaret Parish Council held a finance committee meeting on Tuesday July 26 and issued grants to help local groups with maintenance costs.

The council put aside £9,700 to be divided between various associations from the Stratton Camera Club to the parish’s scout troupe.

The Stratton Juniors Football Club, which receives most of its funding from subs paid at matches and training sessions, and from the odd sponsorship deal, was given £1,000 for a new defibrillator.

The equipment, which is estimated to cost around £2,000, will be kept at Meadowcroft Recreation Ground, where the club trains, and will be available to anyone who needs it.

Swindon 105.5 Community Radio was given £1,000 to help provide placements, training and development opportunities for people with autism and Asperger’s.

The station has more than 100 volunteers who assist in a variety of different ways and offer their services 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

A spokesman from the station said: “We would like to take the opportunity to promote this aspect of the station’s work and reach more individuals with autism.

“Over the course of the year we anticipate about 100 people will receive one-to-one support and development.”

Also in receipt of funds was Stratton Camera Club, who got £550 to put towards vital new pieces of equipment, and the Beechcroft Thursday Club, which received £500 to help pay the rent on their hall.

The Thursday Club provides a place for over-50s to meet each week to socialise and participate in various activities while the camera club provides regular gatherings for people with a passion for photography.

The 1st Stratton St. Margaret Scout Group, which boasts 97 members, was handed £1,000 to replace the doors at their Stratton Park hall.

Adam Giles, scout leader, said: “Our current doors are old wooden ones which over time have begun to rot, despite annual maintenance.

“They have been in the building since it was constructed and we are extremely worried that these doors will fall and compromise the security of the hall.”

The estimated cost of replacing the doors is £4,200 and the scouts initially asked the parish council for the full amount. However, after much deliberation councillors agreed that £1,000 was fair.

Table tennis enthusiasts U3A, who meet between 3 and 5pm on Friday afternoons at Gorse Hill Community Centre, were given £500 towards the rent after recently seeing the cost spiral as a result of Swindon Town FC using the centre at the same time.

The aim of the club is to help seniors keep fit and active after they have retired and it currently boasts 13 regular members.

The Upper Stratton Baptist Church Kids Club received a modest but vital £150 to fund their Summer Holiday Week to provide activities and games for kids for one week in August.