PARENT power is keeping St Peter’s Sidford Toddler Group going.

Carole Turner, of Sidford Road, stepped down as group leader last Thursday, after seven years. A surprise party was held in her honour.

Several of the mums, grans and carers have rallied around to collectively take on the responsibility.

Carole, 64, was finding the role physically demanding and wants to devote more time to her position as chairman of governors at Sidbury School.

She has enjoyed being a part of the group, which she joined in response to a plea for volunteers in the press when she moved to Sidford from Cowley, near Exeter, with husband Jeffrey.

“The children come in as tiny babies, so you get to see them grow,” she said.

“One boy came along with his sister when he was three days old, and now he’s three, and has a little sister of his own who attends too.”

Ellen Kumar got involved with the group through daughters Charlotte, one, Tilly, six, and Anna, nine. She, along with others including Norma Self, Jackie White, Mary Summers and Rebekkah Stahlberg, will be running it. They have put the two-hour session forward half an hour, to 1pm, so that parents who need to collect older children from school can get away in time.

The 39-year-old website designer said: “There’s a warm community feeling to the group. It provides exciting activities for the children, and support and friendship for mums and carers. We’ve rallied together to keep it going because it looked in doubt.”