An amazing thing is happening in a quiet hamlet near Tavistock that has brought the community together in repurposing an old village telephone box.

A personal story has led to Addy Varley, a resident of Horndon near Mary Tavy, to encourage local residents to use their many talents in painting, glazing and cleaning an, up to now, disused red telephone box.

Local produce and general items are being placed in the phone box and any money raised is going to the locally based charity, DDRC Healthcare, Hyperbaric Medical Centre, based on Plymouth Science Park.

The medical centre carries out recompression treatment for divers with DCI (the ‘bends’) and routine patient treatment for a variety of conditions. Based on consultant referrals for certain conditions, hyperbaric oxygen therapy involves delivering 100% oxygen under pressure in a hyperbaric chamber and referred to as a ‘dive’.

DDRC Healthcare is very grateful to Addy for organising this opportunity for the local community to come together and to remember her mum.

Addy said: ‘I wasn’t aware of oxygen therapy as a treatment until offered a dive as an option for my mother when she became very ill with a massive brain infection.

‘The positive suggestion was to see if the treatment would be able to slow down the internal infection that couldn’t be treated easily any other way. This was a very good idea as the infection was hard to reach.

‘My mother and I were treated wonderfully well by the staff at DDRC Healthcare and were shown around the equipment inside the chamber and told what to expect. I was so impressed by the kindness and support we were given for this amazing treatment that I had no idea was on offer to people like us.

‘Sadly, due to her conditioning worsening, my mother could not go ahead with the treatment. She was 89 years old when she died not long after our visit, but she was thrilled to have been offered the opportunity of this treatment.

‘For me it is the place my mum and I last went to together and to raise awareness of the hyperbaric chamber is very close to my heart and so the idea of a donation /swap scheme in our local telephone box was launched.

‘The wonderful band of volunteers in Horndon have repaired the telephone box with such care we are now able to take goods on a swap scheme or small donation. Since the start we have raised just over £40 from fruit and vegetable sales, plant sales, jams and eggs and book swaps.

‘We would like more items which will in turn lead to more donations so if anyone is interested in supporting this project then please come along to the telephone box in Horndon and join in the pleasure of seeing a wonderful icon as a true beacon of community spirit.’

DDRC Healthcare communications manager, Kathryn Epps said: ‘It is so generous of the local community in Horndon to pull together for us like this.

‘I had the pleasure of visiting the telephone box and I have to say it is wonderful to see it being put to such good use. Thank you to everyone who has been involved.’

Pictured is Addy Varley with the village phone box which has been put to new use.