Ten organisations working with young people were awarded grants totalling £5,000 at an extraordinary meeting of the Fenland Youth District Council.

In a marathon session lasting nearly four hours, the young councillors assessed 19 separate applications, with 10 of the groups giving brief talks or presentations.

The end-of-year “great grants giveaway” was held to decide how to allocate the £5,000 remaining in the YDC’s grants kitty for 2013/14.

The successful applicants were:

• Cambridgeshire Army Cadet Force (March & Wisbech Detachment)

Awarded £750 towards the purchase of laptops which will be shared between the March & Wisbech detachments to be used for learning, delivering presentations and development programmes

• Norfolk Fire & Rescue Service (Fenland)

Awarded £750 towards the purchase of IT equipment which will be used during a 12-week programme made up of different elements, including work placements, community projects, community engagement and employment skills

• Chatteris Cricket Club

Awarded £300 to be used to buy a new bowling machine to help with the coaching of young sportsmen and women at the club

• Chatteris St Peters Tennis Club

Awarded £500 towards the cost of a 12-week Lawn Tennis Association junior tennis coaching course provided by a LTA qualified coach

• Murrow & Parson Drove Youth Club

Awarded £300 towards the cost of a coach to enable a group of up to 30 young people to attend a team building day and a local outdoor activity centre

• Wisbech 2nd Orchard Scouts

Awarded £600 towards the cost of buying outdoor equipment to enable Scouts to go on adventures and prepare them for the Duke of Edinburgh Awards scheme

• Ernie’s Amateur Boxing Club (Chatteris)

Awarded £500 towards the purchase of ABA standard headgear and boxing gloves, to enable the young boxers to participate in local and regional competitions

• Commotion Youth Group (Whittlesey)

Awarded £750 towards the cost of taking 10 young people on a 1.5 day residential trip to a local outdoor activity centre, and to gain a recognised ASDAN qualification

• Whittlesey Youth Action Group

Awarded £250 to purchase DJ equipment to be used at the youth club by the young people, and for parties and other events

• 4th March Rainbows

Awarded £300 towards the cost of sending the young Rainbows to the Eastern Regional Annual Rainbow Safari at Colchester Zoo in July.

Details of the 2014 / 2015 grant scheme will be announced in May.