WELLINGTON Town Council is backing local man Andrew Martin’s bid to compete in the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo.

Councillors agreed at their monthly meeting on Monday to give the GB parabadminton player £500 towards his training and competing costs.

A report to councillors stated his application for financial help did not comply with the council’s grants policy but it added there was: “Sufficient flexibility within the overall council budget and the council’s policy to promote health and well-being and to promote the town to enable it to make a contribution if members are so minded.

“Andrew has submitted a supporting statement which outlines his competition calendar for 2018 and the costs involved in competing, including travel, accommodation, entry fees, training, equipment and physio,” said a report. “The cost of competing amounts to £10,000 and he stated that he would be grateful for any contribution the council might be able to make.”

The council also agreed to a grant of £1,500 made by the Wiveliscombe Area Partnership in relation to the Wivey Link Scheme.

It was stated that this was a successful community transport service which had been running for a number of years.

Although the scheme is based in Wiveliscombe and covers surrounding parishes, drivers regularly collect 46 people in Wellington and Rockwell Green. The application had been deferred at the last council meeting to enable ‘an overall view to be taken in relation to community transport options that were currently available in and around the town’.

The Wellington Medical Centre Patient Participation Group will also receive a grant of £1,000 from the council, although its application was for £6,000 spread over three years in order to provide a community transport scheme for patients of Wellington Medical Centre.

“The scheme appears to be in its very early stages and once a need has been established it is intended to seek volunteer drivers and appoint a co-ordinator,” councillors were told.

The council decided it would consider another application once the scheme had established itself.