DEVON'S leading disability campaigning and empowerment charity, Living Options, is celebrating after being awarded nearly £424,000 to help disabled people get out into the countryside.

The grant was made by Natural England as part of its Access to Nature programme, funded by £25m from the Big Lottery Fund's Changing Spaces programme, in its most recent batch of grants.

Forty specially-designed electric all-terrain scooters, called trampers, will be distributed to 30 country parks and countryside sites spread across the region.

Projects in South Devon likely to get trampers in the first phase are Cockington Country Park, Stover Country Park and Berry Head Country Park.

The scooters, which have robust tyres and are more sturdy, can be driven across rough terrain which would normally only be accessible to walkers.

People with disabilities will be able to book the mobility vehicles by the hour, in many cases for free.

Four specially-designed boats, called Wheelyboats, will also be made available across the region for use on the inland waterways.