THE Mayor of Tavistock, Councillor Harry Smith, was one of many West Devon guests who attended the CHICKS (Country Holidays for Inner City Kids) charity open day at its Moorland Retreat in Brentor recently. Visitors were able to see behind the scenes at the charity and were given a personal tour of the retreat, which is enjoyed by hundreds of disadvantaged children every year who come to CHICKS for a week-long respite break. The retreat stretches over several acres of land and includes trampolines, a maze, games room and disco room. Plenty of CHICKS staff were on hand to talk to guests about the charity, the children it helps and opportunities to get involved and there was a tea party in the dining room where guests could find out more over tea and cake. Head of fundraising and communications at CHICKS Tim Bunting said: 'It was a beautiful sunny day and we were delighted with how many people from the local area came along to find out more about who we are and what we do. 'CHICKS helps up to 1,200 children every year, including hundreds of children from the South West. 'The open day was a wonderful opportunity for us to show people exactly where the children come and stay on their breaks and to give them an idea of the positive, safe and fun environment we create for the children we support. 'They may be children living in poverty, suffering from abuse or one of the hundreds of thousands of young carers in the UK. 'At CHICKS, they are able to leave their responsibilities and worries at home and enjoy a carefree week where they can simply have fun, make friends and form happy memories. 'With no government funding and relying on hundreds of volunteers every year, we are always looking for more people to get involved with the charity.' If you would like to find out more about how you can get involved or would like to have a tour of the Moorland Retreat, call 01822 811020, email [email protected]">[email protected] or visit http://www.chicks.org.uk">www.chicks.org.uk