News

Xlinks have shared information about their plans for a large‑scale data centre and battery storage facility in Great Torrington. We recognise that this is a significant proposal for the town, and we are reviewing the information provided to understand what it may mean for our beneficiaries, and for the land we hold in trust.

Based on what has been communicated so far, the scale and nature of the proposed infrastructure raises a number of concerns for us. We are also considering how the proposal aligns with our charitable objectives and our Charity Commission Schemes.

We are carrying out a structured assessment of the information released by Xlinks, and trustees will continue to review the proposal through our established governance processes. We will enter into constructive dialogue with partners and stakeholders in Torrington as part of this work.

Xlinks have postponed their July information events and intend to hold them later in the year. We encourage residents to take part once the new dates are announced. We also encourage people to complete the Torridge People & Place Survey, which is currently open, as this will help build a clearer picture of local views.

We will share updates as our assessment progresses.

We are in the process of updating our website. If you have any enquiries regarding any of our properties, grants or anything else please contact our office on 01805 623517 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Great Torrington Town and Lands Trust are looking for new Trustees. Do you have a few hours to spare each month?

Although one of the oldest charities in North Devon, the Trust is forward-looking and provides affordable housing, grants to support local community projects and Christmas vouchers for older and disabled citizens in Great Torrington.

We would welcome all applications to join our Trustees Board, but are especially keen to recruit people with background knowledge in the building industry, farming and land management, along with those with more commercial business and legal skills.

Would you like to learn more about the Charity then please contact the office on 01805 623517 and we will forward your details on to our Chair for an informal chat.

The Trustees of the Great Torrington Town & Lands Charity awarded a grant to the Crier:

 The Town & Lands Charity have received the following update:-

 ‘The Crier is published 10 times a year and delivered throughout Great Torrington and the rural district. The content is provided by the community and local councils and is a combination of important local information, news and views, events, fundraising appeals and information on local businesses, amongst many other topics.  The Great Torrington Town & Lands Charity kindly supported the Crier with grant funding for many years, until it became mostly self funding.  During the Covid pandemic it became impossible to deliver copies using our usual door-to-door deliverers and volunteers, and so in order to ensure that important local information continued to reach our community, we chose to use the Royal Mail's door-to-door service.  We had to do this for 10 issues over the last year at a cost of nearly £8000. We are so incredibly grateful that the Great Torrington Town & Lands Charity stepped in to provide grant funding towards this cost, the whole process was so quick and easy and it is wonderful to know that the Crier is so valued by this important local charity.’

To Great Torrington Town & Lands Trustees,

We would like to thank you again for your incredibly generous grant last autumn towards the work of Allsorts Children’s Club. We also wanted to let you know that we have started meeting again on a Friday evening in person! We met with Angela Fleming (head mistress of the Bluecoat School) during Easter, and we were pleased that she said we could meet up again at the school after Easter! We have met for the past 3 weeks and have used the MUGA as the weather has been kind, although we are able to use the hall with the doors open. We have started with approximately half of our children (35) to get to grips with all of the Covid rules and restrictions and hope to open up the club to all of the children after 21st June! We continue to run the youth side work via Zoom as they do not go to the school in daytime, but again hope to meet in person after June.

It’s been lovely to be able to pick up where we left off some 13 months before and are very thankful for Zoom and financial help which enabled us to keep going.

Thank you Trustees – we are very grateful!

Karen & the Allsorts Team 😊

The Trustees of the Great Torrington Town & Lands Charity awarded a grant to the Youth Genesis Trust (Ltd).

The Town & Lands Charity have received the following update:-

Torrington Youth Space Update – June 2021

"It's with great appreciation and thanks to the Trustees of Great Torrington Town & Lands that Youth Genesis is able to offer a range of life changing projects and activities for local young people. The funding will allow us to provide a series of activities at our Friday Night Youth Hub over the summer and autumn that will include sports and games as well as sessions around arts, crafts, music making, dance and drama. We will also be offering young people life skills around cooking, managing finances and gardening.

 The Friday Night Youth Hub, which takes place at Torrington Methodist Church and on the streets at various locations around town, is currently engaging just over 80 teenagers each week! Many of the young people Youth Genesis are supporting have struggled with their mental health following the Covid-19 pandemic etc.  Funding from Great Torrington Town & Lands Charity will help us to provide the right support as well as a dynamic range of positive activities.  

 For more information, please visit: https://www.youthgenesis.org.uk/location/great-torrington/

The Trustees of the Great Torrington Town & Lands Charity awarded a grant to the Great Torrington in Bloom Association.

Update and feedback for Great Torrington Town and Lands Charity grant application.

The Trustees of the Great Torrington Town & Lands Charity awarded a grant to the Torrington Senior Citizens Club.

The Town & Lands Charity have received the following update:-

‘The first outing of the year was to Dorchester in May. The weather was hot and sunny. Some members went to the swannery and then onto the café for a good lunch. In June there was an outing to Padstow. Some members enjoyed a boat trip. In July there was an outing to Exmouth where again members enjoyed boat trips, picnics or a nice lunch in the town. In September there was an outing to Sidmouth, another fine day for a stroll along the sea front, shopping and looking around the beautiful gardens. In November there was an outing to Bristol for Christmas shopping. In December the Christmas Lunch took place at the Great Torrington Town & Community Hall where a fun time was enjoyed by all of us. There was an entertainer and a sing along etc’.

The Trustees of the Great Torrington Town & Lands Charity awarded a grant to the Torrington Methodist Church.

The Town & Lands Charity have received the following update:-
Please see photos of the work completed recently at the Methodist church – this is what the grant from the Trustees paid towards and for which we are very grateful!