A MORNING café service that has raised thousands of pounds for Belstone Village Hall celebrated its tenth anniversary last Thursday.

The service opened in the village hall on March 6 2003 as a companion for the outreach Post Office which had just opened on Tuesday and Thursday mornings in the building. The outreach service, originally staffed from Okehampton but now a satellite service of North Tawton Post Office, is still going strong, and the café continues to be a popular meeting place.

The café has also proved a big boon for the hall itself, helping to raise funds for the building throughout its ten years.

Marion Walpole, organiser of the café since its creation, said: 'We had candles, balloons and daffodils to mark the occasion. 30 people dropped in, which is about average for us. 

'They bought their 20p mugs of tea or coffee and their 50p home-made scones or cake and we took £39. That's added up to over £15,000 for village hall funds in the ten years. We've only missed one Thursday in that time, when it was Christmas Day.  I make around thirty scones each time, so that's roughly 15,500 of the things!'

The café is run each Thursday by two people from a group of 20 volunteers, from 9.30am to 12.30pm. To join the volunteer rota call Marion on 01837 840498. The outreach post office service is open on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 9.30am to 11.30am.