A RESCUE attempt to keep Okehampton's Family Centre in Tenby House as a thriving community facility is being spearheaded by West Devon and Torridge MP John Burnett.

The centre has been struggling to survive since Devon's Social Services decided not to renew the contract with National Children's Homes which ran it and also owns Tenby House.

Mr Burnett said it was 'vital' to keep the centre going for the community of Okehampton and its surrounding areas.

Mr Burnett said: 'I am due to see the chief executive of NCH in London to see what price they want for the building.

'I am hoping they would give us a generous discount — I am very keen to keep this facility for the community in the building.

'I am also going to involve West Devon Borough Council and Community Action for Rural Devon.

'I'm drawing all these threads together in the hope we can keep the Open Door open.'

Mr Burnett is also planning to approach Okehampton Non-Ecclesiastical Trust.

Okehampton mayor Christine Marsh said Mr Burnett's idea was something she would support because the family centre was 'very important' to the community.

Jim Goodwin, secretary of the Open Door Family Support Group, said it was 'absolutely marvellous' that Mr Burnett was trying to help.

'NCH has said they will inform the support group as soon as they have a valuation and we will have first refusal.

'It's a perfectly good building for community use, it's got a lot of things that the Ockment Centre hasn't got, it's just finding the money to buy it,' said Mr Goodwin.

He said the group exists month to month, 'scraping the pennies together'.

'We are desperately trying to keep going two days a week,' said Mr Goodwin.

The Open Door Family Centre has been running for 16 years in Okehampton. It ran into cash problems towards the end of the 1980s but due to the concerted efforts of the support group and local sponsors the organisation kept going.

NCH took over the operation in 1988 and ran it until this spring, when their contract was terminated.

Services provided at Tenby House included counselling services, a drop-in centre, toy library and nearly new clothes shop and summer play schemes.