A YOUTH group in Wellington has taken a giant leap towards the completion of a £30,000 refurbishment project.

Headed by group leader Steve Altria, 1st Wellington Scouts have been fundraising tirelessly to raise money to carry out refurbishment of the large garden area behind its headquarters in Fore Street.

This week, to help it on its way to paying for the work, Wyvern Environmental Trust has handed out a grant of £7,000 to the scout group.

The grant takes the group to within a whisker, just £2,500, from its target which will pay for the project in its entirety.

Taunton-based Wyvern Waste Services which operates four landfill sites in the county, set up the Trust to administer money raised through the Government's landfill tax in Somerset.

The Wellington Scouts' grant is just one of four, amounting to more than £18,000, which has been awarded to play projects and youth groups across Somerset from an environmental fund that gets its money from rubbish being buried in the ground.

A proportion of its funds is diverted to help local community projects or schemes to promote waste minimisation and recycling.

The other projects in Somerset include BMX tracks at Kingsbury Episcopi and Odcombe, while Barwick and Stoford Parish Council hopes to refurbish its recreation ground.

If anyone would like to contribute to the 1st Wellington Scouts to help them reach the £30,000 target, they can call Steve Altria on 07876-652372.