Community group Everything Okehampton has released a deck of playing cards featuring local businesses.

This limited edition contains a full deck of 52 playing cards including jokers, each one sponsored by a different local organisation, such as OCRA, the Museum of Dartmoor Life and the Rotary Club.

All proceeds will go to the Okehampton Christmas Lights appeal to fund the maintenance of the lights for next year.

Cllr Christine Marsh, organiser of the Christmas lights, said: ‘We’ve sold lots and it’s nice because it’s made businesses aware that we have to pay for the lights. It’s like a charitable purpose.’

Some have described the ‘stocking filler’ as too expensive at £8.50, but Cllr Marsh added: ‘The money is going into the lights even though it seems like we’re making a profit.’

So far, Everything Okehampton has sold approximately 200 decks and raised nearly £2,000.

Okehampton’s Christmas lights are famous across West Devon as the among the best light displays in the county and this year Everything Okehampton debuted a new set of Christmas lights.

Last month, organisers feared that the new lights, which were coming from overseas, would not arrive in time for Christmas due to a lack of delivery drivers and more stringent customs checks.

Cllr Marsh described the situation as ‘nail-biting.’

Businesses were also asked not to put Christmas trees above doorways this year for health and safety reasons, which disappointed many. Insurance costs for the lights rose this year following a health and safety concern in 2020 when water was discovered in one of the plug sockets.

As is tradition, the lights were officially turned on this year during Edwardian Evening on December 2 to the great delight of Okehampton’s residents.

For more information about the playing cards, email [email protected]