Okehampton’s Well-being Café was filled with music, colour and fun on March 14 while the staff undertook a 12-hour danceathon fundraising challenge.

Staff put on their dancing shoes and stepped out onto the dancefloor as the danceathon began, drawing dozens of visitors to join the fun and help raise funds for the café’s community groups.

Members of the public were invited to join in the dancing, enjoy cake, company, and music, and contribute to the fundraiser.

Emma Hawkins from the Wellbeing Café said: “We had an absolutely great time, and we had plenty of cake and sweets to keep us going.”

The danceathon ran from 9am to 9pm, with staff rotating through one-hour dancing shifts to keep the event going.

The total funds raised are not yet known, but the team’s Crowdfunder page reveals that they had already exceeded their £500 target.

Funds raised are set to go towards refreshments at the café’s therapeutic groups and youth support session, Teen Space.

The team initially discussed completing a sponsored walk to raise funds, but this was not appropriate for some staff members, so they began searching for an alternative activity. Manager Gemma Partridge said they eventually settled on a danceathon as they “all love dancing.”

The Well-being Café opened in August 2022 to provide a safe space for people in and around Okehampton who are struggling with their mental health.

Currently, it supports over 100 people a week, including 40 teenagers and 60 adults. It has reached capacity in several support groups, especially the youth support session, and staff are now looking to grow and expand their work in the community.

The café is located on St James Street in Okehampton and hosts several weekly groups, including a wellbeing drop-in session, Knit and Natter, an art group, Teen Support, and Therapeutic Thursdays.