TAVISTOCK Visitor Information Centre re-opened last week, more than four years after it was closed during local government cutbacks.

Just under 400 people popped into the Visitor Information Centre (VIC) in the first four days of its opening. The revived service will be entirely provided by a team of volunteers who have donated their time to help visitors and locals find out more about what’s on offer in the town and the local area. As before, the VIC is situated in Court Gate, in Bedford Square.

As well as handing out advice and visitor information, the new VIC will also have a strong heritage theme, a reflection of its new managers, the charity Tavistock Heritage Trust. The primary goal of the VIC will be to inform the public about the fascinating history and heritage of Tavistock and its surroundings. The VIC will, for instance, be a hub for heritage walking tours around the town, offering both self-guided walks and others led by local historians.

Chairman of the trust Andrew Main said on its opening day: ‘This is a huge day for the trust and the culmination of a great deal of work. Our goal is for the VIC to be a beacon in the middle of the town, directing visitors and locals both to local businesses and attractions and to Tavistock’s unique heritage.

‘We’d like to thank all our volunteers and the local community for their support in getting the project off the ground, especially the Rotary Club of Tavistock and the property services company Ian Williams Ltd. We must also acknowledge the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund since the re-opening of the VIC is part of the wider HLF-funded Guildhall Gateway Project. Most of all, though, our thanks go to our consultant Jo Butler, whose guidance and hard work have made the entire project possible.’

Tavistock town mayor Cllr Paul Ward said: ‘The opening of the VIC is an important event for the town. It will fill the yawning gap created by the closure of the old tourist information centre and will greatly improve the town’s offer to locals and visitors alike.

‘This is the first result of a continuing collaboration between Tavistock Heritage Trust and Tavistock Town Council that will ultimately lead to the reopening of the Guildhall to the public and further enhance the attractiveness of our town to visitors.

‘In recognition of the importance of the project, the town council, which owns Court Gate, is not charging rent for the use of the premises. On behalf of the council I would like to express my thanks to all the volunteers who will be greeting and assisting our visitors and wish the project every success.’

Chairman of the Tavistock Business Improvement District (BID) Robin Rich said: ‘Tavistock BID would like say a huge thank you to everyone involved in getting the VIC off the ground — it has been a fantastic achievement. Tavistock has been without a dedicated staffed information centre for over four years, but we now have that facility back and Tavistock will be a better place for it. The BID will continue to support and help grow the VIC over the coming years.’

The VIC’s future will depend on local people volunteering their time to staff the centre. If you’d like to get involved, visit www.heritageintavistock.org/volunteer or call Geri Parlby on 01822 852102. Alternatively, drop by the VIC during opening hours and have a chat with one of the volunteers. To contact the VIC, email [email protected], or call 01822 612938. The centre will be open Wednesday through to Saturday each week between 11am and 4pm.