GLOBE-TROTTING Salvation Army minister Pam Smith is leaving Tavistock after six years in her post, having seen a dramatic rise in the number of people in need in the town.

Major Smith has seen extreme poverty at close quarters in Russia and admits that although the town does not have the widespread deprivation of other countries, there are increasing numbers of people needing extra support.

She has worked to support the food hub and foodbank in Tavistock which reflects the projects that the Salvation Army is involved with: ‘It’s in our DNA to help the vulnnerable and others who are much worse off than ourselves.’

When she first came to Tavistock, she confirmed what people had told her beforehand, that it was a beautiful town set in naturally wonderful surroundings as the ‘gateway’ to Dartmoor: ‘However, even the most blessed communities, like Tavistock feel the pressures in society. And this has an inequal impact on many, so that’s where I have been directing my support.

‘This pressure has recently involved the increased cost of living with energy and food bills affecting poorer people disproporionately.

‘The consequences for the most vulnerable are addictions and mental health issues. I soon discovered that Tavistock has strong support networks for helping those most in need.

‘This has made my work here easier and I am very grateful for the welcoming friendly attitude of people and have thoroughly enjoyed the various projects I have been involved in.’

One of those has been the Catalyst programme in Tavistock College — a support network for students needing more attention.

Pam said: ‘The key is to give students someone to talk to in a more informal setting than the classroom. So, I use my listening skills as they talk about personal issues such as friendships, bullying and how to achieve resilience.

‘I have been pleased about what I helped achieve. I also supported a man in the community who finds it difficult to make friends. I’ve been helping him for several years.’

Another project has been helping Ukrainian refugees settle including helping run a cafe in the United Reformed Church where they learned English and could socialise away from their host homes.

‘I’ve been most imnpressed how how brave and resourceful they’ve been, despite the painful memories of fleeing their homes to come to a strange country.’

Pam worked in Moscow and St Petersburg helping addicts and homeless people with husband Joseph.

She now takes up a job at a homeless centre in Plymouth.