COUNTY Sport Partnership Active Devon is urging Devon to get behind them and vote the Devon Active Villages project as winners of the National Lottery Awards 2013.

The project is competing against six other projects for the title of Best Sport Project and is the only local project in England in its category.

The Awards are an annual search to find the UK's favourite Lottery-funded projects, and they aim to celebrate and recognise the difference that those projects have made to people, places and communities all across the UK.

The project could be in with the chance of appearing on a BBC One tv show and winning £2,000 to help continue its work, but is relying on local support as the winner will be decided by public vote between now and Wednesday, July 24.

Devon Active Villages has helped and supported more than 10,000 people living in rural communities to take part in sport where they live by providing specialist support, equipment and training to over 120 villages.

The programme has helped to identify undiscovered talent; youngsters from Northlew and North Tawton who started Muay Thai through the project are now British and European Title Holders and Halwill Junction Archers' Club, established only recently through Devon Active Villages now boasts a continually growing medal collection.

The Devon Active Villages approach is so successful, funding has recently been secured to roll out Devon Active Communities and includes a project similar in nature to Devon Active Villages but which will involve more urban communities.