A new playgroup in Dawlish, 'St. Mary's Busy Bees', had its very first Christmas party this week on Monday 13 December.

The children were visited by Santa Claus, who gave them presents, and three Dawlish VIPs, including Mayor Val Mawhood and Cllrs Linda and John Petherick. A raffle held on the day raised as much as £160 for the group, and had prizes donated by local businesses.

The founder of the new playgroup, Natasha Cleave, identified that small children had been unable to interact with each other during the pandemic, and felt that this had impacted their social development.

She decided to apply for a grant from the town council in September this year. The grant enabled her to buy some toys and pay the first few months' rent. The group was then set up in October at St Mary's Hall, and is now run by Natasha and several volunteers.

Natasha said: "If it wasn't for St Mary's Hall Committee's support and help, together with the funding from Dawlish Town Council the play group would never have come to fruition.

"We hope to go from strength to strength in the new year and hopefully more little ones will come and enjoy what we are providing."

Many families from the local area, including Cockwood, Holcombe, Dawlish, and Dawlish Warren, now reportedly attend.

—————

Got a Dawlish story you want to share with us? Email [email protected]

For daily updates on what's happening in Dawlish, follow us on Facebook and Twitter. You can also sign up to our free weekly newsletter featuring exclusive articles for subscribers - just type your email into the box below.