We need you for an hour and a half a month – Please Help!

Calling all Mums, Dads, Grannies, Grandads and Carers

Cafe du Parc reopens with a child friendly new look!
The Cafe du Parc in the Burton Art gallery has re-opened under the management of French Joe. Sure Start and parents of under fives will be delighted to learn that it is totally child friendly- Joe , himself a parent of a young child , knows the problems, and there is lots of room for pushchairs and buggies. Joe has also installed a playpen with toys .
It is a perfect location, especially in the Summer months with French doors,( no pun intended ), leading out to a patio area with tables and chairs within the park itself. Sure Start's Childrens' Centre is only a stone’s throw away and the two mothers I spoke to were stopping off for coffee and cakes before going on to an afternoon session at the centre. The cakes they were sampling looked absolutely delicious.
Children’s portions are available, and there is a classic French menu cooked daily- at very affordable prices- as someone described it -Parisian standard s at prices everyone can afford. There is also a takeaway option so if the weather suits , you can take your picnic into the park, if preferred.
Opening times are
Nov- March Tue - Sat 10-4 Sun 2-4
April- October Tue- Sat 10-5pm Sun 2-5pm
Open Bank Holiday Mondays. To contact Joe tel 471948.


Bideford Library Closes for re-decoration
Please note that Bideford Library will be closed for redecoration from Monday I0th March , re-opening on
Tuesday 25th. Please note there will be no storytimes during this time but please contact Sarah at Bideford Library on 476075, before we close, in case we run outreach sessions.




People like you could help to ensure children have regular contact with their non-resident parent.
A Child Contact Centre is a safe, friendly and neutral place where children of separated families can spend time with the parent they do not live with, ensuring regular contact with them. They are child-centred environments that provide, toys, games and facilities that reflect the diverse needs of children affected by family breakdowns.
There has been a Centre in Barnstaple for a number of years but it is the only Centre for supported contact in the triangle of Ilfracombe, Bude and Tiverton . There will soon be a new Centre in Bideford. It will run on the second, fourth (and fifth if there is one) Saturday in the month from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. (two three hour sessions) There will be a paid part time Co-ordinator and a team of volunteers who will all be checked by the Criminal Records Bureau prior to starting at the Centre.Most families are referred to the Centre by Solicitors, Courts, Family Mediators and Social Workers. Most Child Contact Centres are dependent upon donations and grants to support their work.

Volunteers in Child Contact Centres need to be impartial, caring, tolerant, sensitive, flexible, discreet and reliable. They must always put children’s needs first and not take sides with either parent or any other adults involved in the contact. Volunteers are normally organised into teams and each team is on duty once every four to six weeks.
A volunteer is responsible for facilitating meaningful contact between a child or children and a non-resident parent . If you are interested in supporting this new project, or would like further information, please contact Dawn Milner at Torridge Volunteer Centre 01237 421580. We have many organisations and projects registered with us looking for volunteers with all sorts of skills. Why not log on to www.do-it.org.uk to see what opportunities there are that might interest you, or contact Torridge Volunteer Centre, 14 Bridgeland Street Mon -Thurs 10 a.m. – 1pm.