CELEBRATIONS were in full swing as Okehampton and District Community Transport Group marked more than 20 years of serving its community as a Ring and Ride car service.

The group provides door to door transport for people who find it physically difficulty to use conventional public transport.

The group, which was set up in May 1990, held a celebratory event at the Ockment Centre on August 4.

Co-ordinator of Okehampton and District Community Transport Group Sue Wonnacott said: 'Many of our clients would be housebound without our services and appreciate the care and companionship offered by our drivers.

'We are currently extremely busy with large numbers of new clients registering with us — to continue to offer our services and satisfy all requests for assistance, we urgently require more voluntary car drivers.

'Just an hour or so a month makes all the difference to our passengers who rely on us to access healthcare.'

More than 500 members are registered with the scheme, which is supported by Devon County Council and West Devon Borough Council.

The county council's cabinet member for highways and transportation, Cllr Stuart Hughes, said: 'In a rural county like Devon, where local transport and access to services is vital for many communities, services such as these provided by Okehampton and District Community Transport play an essential part in people's day to day life.'

The county council invests in excess of £450,000 each year to support the county's many voluntary-run community transport groups.

For more information about the scheme, phone the transport group on 01837 55000 between Monday to Friday or visit the website http://www.odctg.co.uk">www.odctg.co.uk

l The winner of Okehampton District Community Transport Group's special hamper raffle at Okehampton Show was Mrs A Herrod-Taylor, who won a shopping trolley.

Second was Mrs A Kingdom, third place L Bawn and fourth, Mrs S Squire, who each won hampers.

Fifth was Mrs L Brightwell, who won a vegetable box, sixth was Mrs K Nolan, who won a fruit basket and seventh Mrs J Reynolds, who won cheese and wine. In eighth and ninth were Mrs P Sawyer and T Morgan, who both won wine.

The group expressed thanks to everyone who supported them at the show.