The Isles of Scilly Judo Club has bought 20 professional judo mats thanks to a £1,600 donation.
The club’s membership numbers have increased to the point it needed to make a bigger safety area around the so-called fight zone.
The new mats, which cost almost £100 each, have already made a “really big difference” to the club.
Club secretary Lynn Blackwell, said: “We’d like to say a big thank you to the Isles of Scilly Steamship Company’s Community Fund for supporting our bid for mats. We are delighted with them and our judo mat area is the right safe size now for the larger number of students we have in our two club sessions. This money has made a really big difference to our club. It’s such a lot of money and it’s been a huge thing for us to receive it.”
The judo club, which celebrates its 50th birthday next year, has 55 members aged from six to adults and meets once a week on St Mary’s to train.
The £1,600 grant from the Isles of Scilly Steamship Company’s Community Fund paid for 20 professional mats which are specially made in Germany.
In the past year the Community Fund has supported 18 different projects that benefit communities on the islands and in West Cornwall, giving away around £20,000 in grants.
Community Fund Chairman Terry Ward said: “Of all the sports that are participated in on our islands I think judo achieves higher comparative standards and levels of success than any other.
“The Isles of Scilly Steamship Company’s Community Fund is very pleased to contribute to the development and growth of such a well organised and successful island sporting club and we wish them well with their ongoing plans.”