Thanks to a donation from the Dartmouth Rotary Club, pizza parties can now be enjoyed by those being cared for at the Children's Hospice South West.

Families staying will be able to cook up their favourite homemade dough recipes with toppings after the club presented a smart pizza oven to the Little Bridge Hospice in North Devon.

This will mean that families can get involved in making authentic wood-fired pizzas when visiting the hospice or staying for respite weekends.

The Dartmouth Rotarians responded to a request from the hospice to broaden facilities at its outdoor garden, which is enjoyed by both the children and parents.

Members decided to donate £1,000 from last year’s summer fete in Royal Avenue Gardens, where the key attraction was the club’s annual duck race.

As well as presenting the professional easy-to-use Sage Pizzaioli pizza oven, members topped up the donation with a cash sum for ancillary equipment.

Daniela Hopkins, Area Fundraiser for Children's Hospice South West and Sue Tweed, Lead Volunteer for the Dartmouth and District Friends Group, were guests of Dartmouth Rotary at its meeting on Thursday at the George & Dragon pub when the presentation was made.

They thanked the club’s president Bernard Young and Rotarian Keith Barker, who organised the fete, along with all members who contributed towards the fundraising.

Little Bridge House, near Tavistock, is one of three hospices that the Children's Hospice organisation provides in the South West.

Sue Tweed said:  "We are very grateful for this gift, which will create so many happy memories for the many families using the hospice.  

‘It will create a reason to have fun, and supported by specialist carers for their sick children and a sibling team for their other children, loved ones will be able to get together with other families in similar circumstances to provide mutual support."