OKEHAMPTON and Hatherleigh Area Children’s Centre — managed by Action for Children on behalf of Devon County Council — has been celebrating its birthday.

Birthday parties were held in Hatherleigh on July 12 and in Okehampton on July 13 with Rob Pudner from Entertainingly Different providing the entertainment together with fun activities and cream teas.

Since Hatherleigh Children’s Centre opened at the community centre in July 2002 and Okehampton in 2007, nearly 2,500 children have attended the facility.

The two centres were merged in April 2015 giving parents an increased access to local services.

In Hatherleigh the sessions take place at the community centre and in Okehampton at the library and All Saints Church Hall.

Over the years staff have supported hundreds of families with children under five both in sessions and in more targeted ways.

They continue to offer sessions for parents, carers and children, parenting courses and emotional well-being courses, groups for children with development and speech and language delay, baby massage, healthy child clinics, breast feeding support and support for parents affected by domestic violence and more.

The centre works closely with many partner agencies, especially the health visiting team and midwifery.

Liz Baker, local services co-ordinator for the children’s centre, said: ‘Thank you to everyone who attended our birthday parties in both Hatherleigh and Okehampton. Thanks to Rob from Entertainingly Different for providing the entertainment, Jess Potter and Anita Pearce for making the amazing cakes, Waitrose for providing cream and for everyone who has supported the children’s centres over the years.

‘Finally a massive thank you to Chris Parsons, children’s centre lead, who has begun her semi-retirement.’