AN OKEHAMPTON centre which has helped and supported hundreds of families in the rural area for 16 years is to be closed by Devon County Council in May.
Members of the community are concerned that many families will now be at risk because of the loss of the valuable service provided by the Okehampton Open Door Family Centre.
It has provided among other things a drop-in centre, play sessions for children, a toy library and extended the social network for families in isolated areas.
Carmel Fanconi from Okehampton CVS said: 'I think it is devastating to pull this town out of everything to do with helping families and children.
'This decision will jeopardise our future — more families are coming to live in this town and we will not be ready for them.'
Mrs Fanconi said there were so many families in the area who did not have support around them — often single parent families — and the Okehampton Family Centre was there to help all of them.
But a spokesperson for Devon Council Council, which funds the centre provided by the NCH Action for Children, said the authority was working with the charity to identify other ways in which key services could be maintained, particularly for children with disabilities, young parent groups and summer play schemes.
'We would like to reassure anyone in the area currently receiving support from Social Services that this support will continue,' said the spokesperson.
'The closure is a result of a contract review and has resulted in a refocusing of services which will explore ways of meeting the wider needs of the community.'