The Parklands Leisure Centre cafe will reopen on Saturday (February 3) after nearly four years since its initial closure in 2020 during the Covid lockdown.

Okehampton resident Michaela Grundon has taken on the leisure centre’s cafe, called Nibbles Cafe, and hopes to reopen it as a community hub for residents and visitors alike.

She said: “Amy Parker (the leisure centre’s manager) and I wanted to get it back to a community hub, not only for the centre’s members but visitors.

“The amount of people who have said they are so pleased to have the cafe back! I’ve had loads of feedback and people popping their heads round.”

So far, several community groups have registered an interest in using the space for regular meetings, including a local pregnancy group and a group for men to socialise with one another.

But Michaela added that it was also a safe space for families and visitors to drop in

“It’s also about welcoming the community,” she said. “It’s a calming atmosphere and people can bring their families.”

Town councillors have also been particularly supportive of the project and some, including the mayor, are expected to attend the first day of trading on Saturday (February 3) to celebrate the reopening. The cafe will be open from 10am to 4pm. This will be the first time the cafe has been up and running properly since it was shut in March 2020 at the beginning of the first lockdown.