VOLUNTEERS,children and parents from the Crediton Playscheme joined together recently for a sponsored dog walk to raise funds for the local group.

The idea for the dog walk came from one of the children who attends that Playscheme activity days, Max Cartlidge, after the children were asked if there was anything that they would like to do as a fundraising idea for the group.

Max’s Mum Sallie said: “We have our own family dog, Mouse, who Max loves to take for walks and play with and he thought that, if other members of the group had dogs they might like to bring them all together for a bit of fun.”

The walk lasted around an hour-and-a-half and circled public footpaths and country lanes around Shobrooke, ending with a visit to The Red Lion for food and drinks to recover!

The group Secretary, Bridgett Ashplant, was delighted by the event saying: “It was a wonderful afternoon and as well as the fundraising aspect, which went very well, it was lovely for everyone to socialise together outside of our normal activity days and trips.”

The Crediton Playscheme is a charity-run exclusively by local volunteers to benefit local children with additional needs.

It accepts young people, aged between five and 16, from Crediton and the surrounding area and takes them out on day trips during school holidays and, when funding allows, a weekend residential at an additional needs facility.

The charity’s costs for activities for a full year vary between £7,500 and £9,000 dependant on activities.

Bridgett added: “We think the Sponsored Dog Walk will end up raising around £400 and amounts such as these play a valuable part in keeping the Playscheme running. We are always looking for donations or event ideas to allow us to continue the valuable work that we do and are very grateful for all contributions.

“We are a small organisation but the children and families that we cater for love our activities and the benefits that they bring to them.”

If any individual or organisation/company would like to donate to the Crediton Playscheme or would like to hold a fundraising event for its benefit, please email: [email protected] .