A TOTALLY new service for young people in Okehampton is to be launched in the next two weeks with the opening of the Little Shop of Info in East Street.
Community youth group, Okehampton Teens to Twenties, (OTT) is leasing the premises and working together with Okehampton Youth Forum and the Community Education Youth Service to develop an information and signposting service.
Work has been going on over the last few weeks to give the shop, which has been empty for some time, a facelift.
Community education youth worker, Carol Jones, said: 'The aim of the service is to enable young people to access, with ease, the most appropriate person, group or organisation suitable for their individual requirements.
'We want to provide the "what, where, when and who" information by creating a database offering a whole range of services, projects or facilities relevant to young people within the area.'
Initially the office will be open on a part-time basis for young people to pop into but funding will be sought to employ another worker and extend the opening hours.
'Saturday Specials' are already planned whereby any organisation, which feels it has something of interest for young people, can use the premises for the day to promote their service.
Enquiries have been received from organisations as diverse as the Air Training Corps, Ley of the Land Youth Project and Fusion Youth Arts.
Chairman of OTT, Daniel Wayne, 18, said the group was really looking forward to getting this service up and running.
'We see it as a really positive move towards increasing opportunities for young people,' he said.
'We are very grateful to the various people who have supported us with this project, not least, the Community Service Team members from the Probation Service whose hard work and bright ideas have totally transformed the premises.'
If anyone is interested in young people's issues or would like to become involved with this project on a voluntary basis they should contact Carol Jones or Alan King on 01837 53800.
The group also wants to hear from people who run services that may interest the young to include them on the information base.