MEMBERS of the Tavistock Muscular Dystrophy Group, along with helpers, families, friends and supporters, enjoyed their annual party recently.

The young people who have the disease, together with their friends and families, met with supporters of the Tavistock branch to say ‘thank you’ for their help during the year at the party and tea.

The group played a number of games, including the newspaper game (pictured) where teams were challenged to find the answers to a series of questions from the reports and advertisements printed in one edition of a newspaper, this year an edition of the Tavistock Times.

Muscular dystrophy is a muscle-wasting disease, which in its most extreme form, leads to a short life expectancy (late teens to early 20s) and the need to use a wheelchair from around the age of 10.

Each year, the Tavistock branch organises a holiday for young people suffering from MD. Volunteers from the town act as helpers to around 12 guests from around Devon and Cornwall. The 2016 holiday was to Alton in Hampshire. The week was great fun for the youngsters and at the same time gave their parents and carers a well-earned break.

The holiday project has been running for over 40 years and has been generously supported by the townspeople of Tavistock.