TAVISTOCK's Welcome Club runs on two mornings a week, between 10am and noon on a Thursday and Friday, and on Thursdays between 7pm and 9pm, writes Jane Honey.

Originally based at the Alexander Centre, the members now meet at the Tavy Club in the town centre — a move which organiser Jane Anning said had been 'fantastic'.

'The facilities are brilliant, we can use different rooms here, and it's much more inclusive.

'Members of the Tavy Club will chat to our members, they sometimes play pool with them, and our members love it. Some of them were a bit worried about the idea of being in a pub to start with, but they love it now, it brings them out of themselves and it's made a big difference.'

Jane and her helpers run a range of activities for the club members to enjoy, helped by a dedicated band of volunteers. At the moment there is a keen interest in crafts, so one of the volunteers will bring in clay for modelling purposes.

At the evening club meetings, there are skittles, bingo, karaoke, and quizzes are also held.

Jane said she would love to get more fitness-orientated activities started:?'It would be great to set up a sports group.'

She said the club, which operates on a drop-in basis, had been a huge social boost to its members.

'It's somewhere they can meet and feel safe. Sometimes if they have a problem at all, because we are neutral and here for them, they will talk to us and we may be able to point them in the right direction.

'They feel relaxed enough to come and talk to us about things.

'They also really have ownership of the club. We have a club committee and they have their say about what things we will put on and if they don't like the idea of something, they certainly say so!

'It's an area where they have control — it's their club and we do whatever we can for them.'

Debbie Newcombe, who helps Jane run the club meetings, said: 'I think some of them have more confidence now. Instead of sitting on the outside just watching, sitting in the corner, they join in.

'I think it's about being happy and secure in the environment, and they also get interaction from the members of the public that use the club here, which is good all round.'

Jane and Debbie said they were grateful to many people for the continued success of the club — particularly Sally Perkins, who owns the Tavy Club.

'She's been absolutely brilliant, she does so much for us,' said Jane. 'And Francis, from the Union Inn, is also fantastic — we have a few evening club meetings in the pub and it's great.'

The Lions Club of Tavistock have helped — thanks to its members, the Welcome Club will be enjoying a trip soon, and had a wonderful Christmas party.

'Tavistock Pannier Market have been really generous too — at Christmas every one had two presents, and for some of our members, these were probably the only gifts they had. Many of them haven't got relatives, so the Welcome Club members are like extended family and without our meetings, many of them wouldn't really have anywhere else to go,' said Debbie.