A CENTRE which helps children of separated families spend time with a parent they might not otherwise be able to see is back up and running in Devizes.

Devizes Contact Centre had to close last year after not enough volunteers could be found. But now it has now been re-accredited to the National Association of Child Contact Centres and is continuing its good work at St Andrew's Church, Devizes.

Lesley Stapleford has become the new co-ordinator and there are a number of new volunteers who run the centre twice a month and provide a safe and welcoming meeting place for a parent to play with their child.

A spokesman said: "Thanks to the publicity a year ago in the Gazette and support from the community, we have an invigorated management committee and a new co-ordinator. The administrative intricacies are sorted, via NACCC training, funded for us in our urgent need by Methodist Women in Britain.

"Devizes Child Contact Centre offers a friendly, confidential, local, and cheap meeting place, where children can be relaxed and play with the parent who no longer lives in the family home. Teams of three trained Volunteers prepare and oversee each two-hour session."

The group's annual meeting will be held on April 14 at 11am at St Andrew's Church hall in Long Street. To volunteer email devizeschildcontactcentre@yahoo.com