A GROUP dedicated to raising money for a vital children?s support centre has been re-launched in Tavistock ? and organisers hope people in the community will throw their weight behind the volunteers? efforts. The re-launched Tavistock Friends of the Children?s Hospice South West held an inaugural meeting last week ? and new chairman Pat Coghill said she was delighted at the response. ?Everyone was very enthusiastic,? she said. ?People realised just how much money needs to be raised to keep the hospice going, so anything we can do can only make it easier.? Pat said the group is planning a number of major fundraisers, as well as smaller, regular events. ?The first big event will be an evening with Jack Russell, who is a motivator, personal trainer and life coach, which should be enormous fun ? he?s brilliant. ?I?m aiming to get about 50 people for that and every penny will go to the hospice,? she said. ?We hope to organise a dinner dance, possibly to coincide with the balloon fiesta, I?d also like to do a fashion show and one of the things I?d really like to do is an old-fashioned children?s party ? we are raising money for children and I think it would be nice to get children more involved.? A coffee morning is being organised next month, and the group will be holding a regular stall in Tavistock Pannier Market, starting shortly. Items sold will include costume jewellery and books, but there may also be themed stalls, for example, one week may be solely for children?s toys. The friends group would be very grateful for any good quality donations for the weekly stall, which should provide a valuable weekly income for the hospice. ?We are constantly on the look-out for raffle prizes for events as well,? said Pat. Mike Souttar, deputy market reeve, said he was pleased to be able to offer the new group space in the market. ?We are definitely enthusiastic to support the hospice and will offer them all the help we can to enable them to hold stalls in the market,? he said. The Children?s Hospice South West, at Little Bridge House in Fremington, North Devon, is funded entirely by the hard work of volunteers. The only children?s hospice in the South West, it provides invaluable care and respite time for 200 terminally ill children and their families a year and costs £2-million each year to run. The organisation is now also running a £15 campaign to get a second hospice off the ground, at Charlton Farm, in Wraxhall near Bristol, which it hopes to open next year. l Anyone interested in joining Tavistock Friends of the Children?s Hospice South West group, or who can donate items for stalls or raffle prizes, should call Pat Coghill on 01822 860166 for more information and details of forthcoming events. Alternatively, call Billie Burnett at Tavistock CVs and Volunteer Centre in King Street, on 01822 618224.
