many people will be making New Year's resolutions next week — and a West Devon charity is encouraging them to resolve to volunteer.

Robert Owen Communities' (ROC) Welcome Tavistock club has many inspiring volunteers but is in desperate need of more.

ROC runs two Welcome Clubs in Truro and Tavistock.?They provide a social experience for people with learning disabilities.

Around 120 people attend the clubs on a weekly basis, taking part in activities such as social walks, games and barbecues.

Jane Anning, project manager for ROC Welcome Tavistock, which meets at the Alexander Centre, said: 'We could not continue if it wasn't for our brilliant volunteers who do a fantastic job and we have ambitious community-based plans for the club which depend on more volunteers coming forward.

'Local authorities do not fund social welfare provision so our volunteers really are crucial to ROC. In addition to more general volunteers, we need volunteers with specific skills such as money handling, activity organising, arts and crafts, sport as well as community networking and journalism to name a few.

'We'd really like to run some sports clubs but we can't at the moment because we don't have any volunteers with sport experience.

'We would love to have volunteers with experience of crafts, photography, walking, people with fundraising backgrounds — anyone who can organise anything.

'We're not looking for experts, just people with a lot of enthusiasm and positivity. We have a lady who comes in just to make cups of tea and she loves it because she gets to talk to everyone.'

Jane said they are in desperate need of a volunteer to attend the Thursday evening social club at the Tavy Club.

The evenings provide a social gathering which supports people to make friends and plan activities, such as day trips and a game of darts or pool.

The group usually plays skittles on a Thursday evening, so someone who is social, likes playing skittles and has time to volunteer would be a great asset.

'The club is very important to the people who use it,' said Jane, 'For a lot of them, it is the only place they get to meet socially. They enjoy coming because it's familiar and safe — some have been coming for many, many years. It also gives them a chance to chat about any issues they may have. Without it they would be lost.'

One volunteer is Lisa McGowan, a speech and language therapist with LTL Speech and Language Therapy Associates Ltd. She specialises in helping people with Special Education Needs.

Lisa said: 'Everyone has been so friendly and welcoming. The club brings together people from a wide area and gives them a chance to see their friends and take part in activities such as the signing and communication group.'

Lisa's interests are speech, language and communication, working with all age groups, both individually and in school and residential homes.

Welcome Tavistock is planning to hold a reception at the Bedford Hotel in March to launch the club to the community. At the event it is hoped many people will attend to find out about the club and the different ways they can get involved.

The charity is in the process of transforming the clubs into member-led groups that will develop more community links and widen the range of social opportunities.

It has acquired some funding to secure the immediate future and is now structuring a funding plan to ensure long-term sustainability.

ROC took over the long-established former Gateway Club run by Mencap in 2010 as the club had been at risk of closure.

For further information about volunteering for ROC Welcome Tavistock, contact Jane Anning on 07595 271976.