A WEST Devon organisation which has helped more than 20 families and 60 children this year held its annual meeting in Tavistock recently.
Home-Start West Devon is a voluntary organisation offering support, friendship and practical help to young families with children under the age of five.
The Home-Start schemes involve volunteers visiting families in their own homes, getting to know parents, offering reassurance and support and developing a relationship with the family.
It started in Okehampton five years ago and further lottery funding saw the scheme extend to cover the whole of West Devon.
At the annual meeting, farewells were said to retiring chairman Roy Metherell and Sue Pethybridge, who originally set up Home-Start in Okehampton.
They both said they were sad to leave but were pleased at the success of the scheme.
'All we need, as always, are more volunteers to enable us to support more families in the area,' said Roy.
'Hopefully Home-Start West Devon should continue to benefit the community for many years to come,' he said.
He praised the annual report, which includes quotes from families helped by the scheme, referrers and volunteers highlighting the value of Home-Start.
Speaker Bund Wendover, a lay member of Mid Devon Primary Care Group, talked about the emergence of primary care trusts.
He stressed the importance of local people having a say in the provision of their own health services and spoke about the part Home-Start could play in helping community health.
Any family who would like to know more about Home-Start West Devon, or anyone interested in becoming a volunteer for the scheme, should contact 01837 53441.