Powerful Partnerships Benefit the Community

Last week saw the opening of a new cardiovascular training suite based at Okehampton College.

Dartmoor Multi Academy Trust’s community team were successful in their applications to access grants, focusing on opening school facilities to the community after the pandemic. The grants were lottery funded and delivered by Active Devon who the Trust and OCRA are pleased to be working with.

Derrick Brett, Executive Director of Civic Leadership at the Trust, was able to use local Okehampton contacts and partnerships with Okehampton College and OCRA to purchase reconditioned gym equipment which would be used by college students for lessons and after school clubs and by local community groups during out of school hours through independent bookings made via the OCRA booking service. In due course, the Primary Care Network will aim to work with OCRA to provide supervised prescribed exercises sessions, using the new equipment.

This project will enhance the opportunities for young people and members of the local community to be more physically active beyond the school day and remove barriers to participation.

The launch was attended by Rebecca Skinner Programmes Manager at Active Devon, Ian Blythe OCRA General Manager, Christine Marsh, Trustee of OCRA and Town Councillor and from Dartmoor Multi Academy Trust – Derrick Brett Executive Director of Civic Leadership and Melissa Trudgill, Community Engagement Manager.

Both the Trust and OCRA are looking forward to working with Active Devon in the future. Derrick Brett said ‘we are most grateful to Active Devon for their support in developing this facility which will be valuable to both College and the work of OCRA in the community’.