I WOULD like to thank the Okehampton Times for their feature on the Ockment Centre, but I would like to allay any fears of those living close to the centre by saying that the report was incorrect when it said that the Ockment Centre intended to install a small 'wind turbine'. It should have read that the centre is looking at installing a small 'water turbine' in the old Mill Leat that runs alongside the Ockment Centre.

The Ockment Centre needs to cut its utility costs dramatically to enable it to survive, so it is very important that we press ahead with the alternative power initiatives as quickly as possible.

And for those using it, the work club has not closed down. Funds to run the work club ran out at the end of August and it has been running on good will until now, which neither the Ockment Centre or its works club partner, Westward Pathfinder, will be able to afford for very long. It is a pity that additional funding has not been forthcoming from the larger local authorities, but it does look like money will now be made available from an outside source to cover the rest of this year, with possible additional funding coming along for early next year.

Something else that should have been included in the article was the fact that the Ockment Centre management would like to say a very big thank you to West Devon Borough Council Rates Department and Okehampton Town Council, who have been a great help to the Ockment Centre over the years, and we hope that this will continue in the future.

The Ockment Centre is a lifeline for a lot of individuals and families in and around the town and like all other community organisations in the area, they suffer from the cutbacks and the high costs of utilities and ongoing maintenance, all of which have to be paid for from a reducing financial pot.

As to the cuts that we are all facing; what seems to be 'quick wins' to the decision makers, can actually have very serious and long lasting knock-on effects to those who most need assistance in our communities, so every possible saving should be thought through thoroughly before any decision is made.

Cllr Tony Leech

Ockment Centre Trustee