13.6 Parish plans

The larger villages have some playing field facilities. Bickleigh has a football club.

13.6.1 Oakford’s playing field provides for five-aside football, and has a playwall with basket ball hoops, swings and toddlers play equipment.

13.6.2 Stoodleigh has a large playing field which could serve as a cricket ground. However, funding is needed to upgrade the facilities.

13.6.3 Halberton has a recreation ground with play equipment for children up to the age of 12 years, and the Mead, which has football posts, is used by the local school.

13.6.4 Westleigh has a playing field that needs upgrading and equipping.

14. Voluntary Sector and Community Life

Voluntary sector activities are supported and developed by the Community Voluntary Service for Mid Devon, known as Involve. There are a very large number of voluntary organisations serving the communities of the area, ranging from children’s and young people’s organisations, through community organisations, interest groups, sports groups,transport groups to caring and welfare organisations. An online directory is available through the Devon Community Directory website at www.devononline.gov.uk/community.

Volunteering, formal and informal, continues to be a strong element of the communities of the Tiverton Market Town area. During 2005/6, the Tiverton Volunteer Centre reported that 168 new volunteers had been referred to organisations in the area. In line with national trends, there is evidence of an increase in formal volunteering, with the profile of these volunteers changing towards younger age groups. Informal volunteering is more common among the older age groups, and as such, is difficult to measure.

The FURNITURE RECYCLING PROJECT seeks to help disadvantaged individuals and families that have been rehoused by C.H.A.T or Social Services with provision of furniture donated by others in the community. A number of projects relate to community centres and village halls. The COMMUNITY SERVICES BUILDING PROJECT seeks to provide town centre office accommodation and meeting rooms for small voluntary groups. The CAB have aspirations to re-locate to these offices, and the new Exe Valley Enterprises Ltd. may be based at the new site.

14.1 Community centres and village halls

14.1.1 Two former primary schools, Heathcoat Community Centre in Westexe, and Sunnningmead Community Centre in Wilcombe, offer good local facilities to a variety of clubs and activities in the local neighbourhood. They are largely run by volunteers and well-used. The Sunningmead Community Centre was formerly an open plan primary school built with a flat roof. This roof is an open invitation to wilder youngsters to climb on to it, although measures have been taken to deter them. The SUNNINGMEAD ROOF PROJECT seeks to replace the aging flat roof with a pitched roof.

14.1.2 There is no community centre serving the new housing estates on the north side of Tiverton. The HIGHER MOORS COMMUNITY CENTRE PROJECT is a proposed new build for this area.

14.1.3 The New Hall in Barrington Street, Tiverton, home of Tiverton Town Council, is available for meetings, shows, dances, weddings receptions and other functions. The hall will seat up to 200 for shows and has a stage. This is of sufficient size for small and medium sized shows but inadequate for the larger audiences that some shows and concerts in Tiverton attract. The acoustics and other facilities need radical upgrading. It has an obscure frontage onto a steep, narrow street which has a very low footfall.

14.1.4 Tiverton Adventure Playground can offer a small hall for hire. Facilities are basic.

14.1.5 A number of the villages have village halls which are important centres of community life. While some are in good repair, and one is a new build, offering outstanding facilities, others need repair and refurbishment.

14.2 Voluntary, caring and welfare organisations

Some of these have found their funding reduced in recent years and are struggling to remain sustainable.
Services for those with mental disabilities and learning difficulties are limited by shortage of funds. Further cuts in grants are expected from MDDC in 2007.

14.2.1 Elderly. Age Concern organises Day Centre and Lunch Club facilities. Their funding has recently been reduced, and one of their centres has closed.

They offer advice and information to the elderly and their carers. They run a CB Radio group. Some churches and the two Community Centres in Tiverton also run lunch clubs. There are senior citizens associations in Tiverton and several villages. Lifeline Alarms provides emergency alarm systems for the elderly, disabled and housebound. Mid Devon Care and Repair provide free advice to elderly and disabled homeowners, arranges repairs and adaptations and supervises builders. Unite is a Carer’s support service operating from Bridge Street in Westexe.

14.2.2 Citizens Advice Bureau. This is now based in Tiverton Town Hall and offers free, impartial and independent advice on a variety of topics. In addition, there are a number of organisations offering information and advice in specific specialist areas.

14.2.3 Groups for Disabled People. There are a number of self-help groups in the area. ADAPT (Association of Physically Disabled People in Tiverton) produce a Tiverton Access Guide, available free at pharmacies, Phoenix House and the Library, containing useful information and telephone numbers. The British Red Cross provides short-term hire of medical equipment. For transport, see 15.6.

14.2.4 Family help. Home-Start Mid Devon operates from the Sunningmead Community Centre and offers help to families in difficulties that have a child under 5 years old, in their own homes.

14.2.5 Fund-raising groups. There are a wealth of such groups in the area, covering medical research, hospice movements, the air ambulance, animal welfare, children’s welfare, and disabled people.

14.2.6 Housing. C.H.A.T. (Church Housing Action Team) gives housing advice for single adults between 16 and 65 who are homeless or have housing problems.

14.2.7 Youth. See 8.6