Debt support group given National Lottery funding

The centre staff Yvonne (middle) and Emily (right) want to help more people like Donna (left) get the help they need

A group offering debt advice to individuals and households in Newton Abbot has received £300,000 National Lottery funding to continue its support service.

The debt advice sessions - which started in 2020 when a need for support was identified - are run by Newton Abbot CIC and Buckland Support and they are held at The Buckland Centre in the town.

Yvonne Cogavin, coordinator for Buckland Support, said the money would keep them going for the next five years.

"There's still a lot of work that needs to be done, a lot of people that need to be helped and it enables us to look at what need is out there, set up more groups and just help more people," she said.

Donna Lees is one of the more than 300 people that have already been helped by the group.

She was referred to the group by her local GP surgery after she moved to the area in 2023, losing much of her support network in the process.

Donna Lees quit her job to care full-time for her husband but found herself struggling emotionally and physically

She cares full time for her husband who has Parkinson's disease and attends several sessions a week at the hub.

"I have been through 18 months of hell with my husband and it's made a massive difference, the care and support I have had has been tremendous," she said.

At the weekly sessions, she has received help from Citizens Advice, been helped with getting power of attorney for her husband and been put in contact with carers and Devon County Council to support her family's needs.

"I couldn't have done it without them," she added.