Melksham's Area Board awarded more than £12,000 of grants to local causes last Wednesday.

More than £3,000 was awarded to help restore Broughton Gifford’s war memorial, the highest amount given to 10 applications and councillors, who are also on the Melksham First World War working group, agreed they would also give the project £1,000.

Broughton Gifford Parish Council hopes repairing the memorial will mean it becomes a focal point of the village again. It is also planning a project to research the history of the people from the village who fought and died during the war.

More than £22,000 had been requested by all the applications received. Councillors halved the requests from three groups; an application for £4,417 to resurface Shaw Play Area was rejected, as it was thought it should come from Melksham Without Parish Council’s budget.

Broughton Gifford Pre-School was given £2,500 for technology equipment and about £1,000 given to replace a fire door at Whitley Reading Rooms.

Melksham Amateur Swimming Club, Broughton Gifford village hall, and charity Big Community Grow also received grants, and cash was given for cardiac defibrillators in Keevil and Semington.

The next Melksham Area Board meeting is on April 15.