Prattens' Clubhouse was a hive of nervous activity last Friday night, as over seventy people participated in the much-publicised 'Dragon's Den' evening, either pitching ideas or supporting and voting for those who were hoping for up to £500 to be awarded.

£5,000 in total was available during the evening from the Big Local Lottery funding, separate from the £1 million of Lottery money waiting to be released for Radstock and Westfield over a ten-year period.

Applicants prepared displays about their projects or ideas, with the hope of further rounds of funding to make these go further. They then had ninety seconds to make a 'pitch' in front of the audience and the three 'Dragons' – Becky Brooks, Editor of The Journal, Suzanne Norbury, from the Somerset Guardian, and Anna Parry, from The Loft, in Radstock, who asked the applicant a question each. Compère for the evening was Dom Chambers, from Somer Valley FM, who kept the evening running smoothly.

Members of the audience then had to cast five voteseach into an official ballot box as to who should receive the money. Each idea had to benefit or improve the communities in Radstock and Westfield, with a wide range of ideas to choose from.

The winners were:

* Radstock 1st Scout Group – awarded £500 to purchase a new tent for the children.

* Radstock Town Football Club – winning £500 towards repairing two wooden walls and preventing break-ins to the club, which has been in existence for 120 years.

* £500 went to 'Boom Stage', a so far self-funded Youth Festival run by students from and around Writhlington School – the money will allow them to invest in their next event to be held at Victoria Hall.

* £442 for the 'Hang It!' Art Project, which will see Year 6 pupils from St Nicholas, St Mary's and Welton Primary Schools taking part in artistic workshops at the Victoria Hall and then hung for all to see. The money will go towards paying visiting artists and picture framing.

* The Community Bus was awarded £400 for Easter Play Schemes – a scheme based in Radstock for the last 23 years, which provides a safe place for children to play during the school holidays.

* £500 to the project 'Play Eight to Eighty', which saw a pitch by Kirsten Lane, dressed in character as 'Lady Birdy', to provide fun, theatrical workshops in the area, particularly for the elderly in care homes.

* £240 was awarded to Westfield Ladies Choir for new sheet music and stands. The choir is in its 69th year and meet at St Peter's Church Hall on Wednesdays from 7 – 9 p.m. and is for women of all ages and with no auditions!

* £500 for St Nicholas Church, Radstock, for a new stile or gate at the top of the churchyard, making access much easier for visitors.

* £219 for the Radstock Junior Gateway Group, which will go towards a new computer software package to help young people with learning difficulties.

* £428 for Danny Brothers' Battle of the Bands idea, which aims to promote the local music scene.

* £343 for the Sulis Scorpions Youth Cycling training, which will provide sessions at Writhlington School for those aged between 7 – 16 years and encourage cycling for young people in the area.

* Prattens Sports and Social Club won the final grant of £428, which will help the club finish the new disabled toilet, as part of £25,000 worth of improvements happening at the club.

A few ideas missed out on funding this time – including a photographic project of local people by young photographer, Sam Norris, and a £350 pitch for funding for a fence for the new Writhlington allotments. Haydon and Writhlington Village Halls both applied for money for improvements, the Victoria Hall hoped for cash for new fold-up chairs and a newsletter initiative for a new Environmental Awareness Group, campaigning against fracking locally also failed to get enough votes by the audience.

Speaking to The Journal this week, Robin Moss, Chair of the Big Local Steering Group, said that he hoped there would be future events like this one and encouraged other groups or those who were unsuccessful to try again. "We were overwhelmed by the interest and great ideas from local people and it was a really positive, successful event. Big Local will be considering running another similar opportunity for local groups. I'm sure that some of the ideas that have come forward will grow and look for some more support from the Lottery £1 million. Little acorns will grow into mighty oaks over the next ten years!"

Sarah Westell, the Big Local Community Worker, added: "It was a really successful evening with everyone getting into the spirit of the event. It was exciting and fun-filled and demonstrates that the Big Local can now have a positive impact, as things are actually starting to happen within our community."