Tickety-Boo in Mill Street are raising money for the charity’s music therapy fund over the next year.

An Ottery coffee shop has announced a year-long campaign to help an ‘invaluable’ service for children with special needs.

Tickety-Boo staff will be supporting Honeylands Children’s Charity in Exeter and its music therapy fund.

The therapy costs £25,000 a year to run and supports 80 children by developing skills through group and individual sessions.

Tickety-Boo’s Zoe Blackmore said: ““We particularly wanted to find a charity that was both local and relevant to children.

“After some research, we came across Honeylands. It was an apt choice - since deciding to work with the charity, we have discovered connections between some of our customers and the centre.

“Don’t be surprised if you come in and see our chef in fancy dress. We would be grateful if customers could pop any spare change into the collection tin at the till and get involved in any events we advertise. The more we raise the better for the children that benefit from Honeylands.”

Honeylands runs a specialist child assessment centre in Pinhoe Road for youngsters with complex needs in Exeter, East and Mid Devon.

Charity secretary Rebecca Boyle has visited Tickety-Boo with her four-year old daughter, Jessica, who has benefited from the Honeylands support before joining mainstream education.

Rebecca said: “Honeylands was our rock from when Jessica was eight months old. Music therapy is invaluable for the under-fives who use the centre - even the most poorly children respond so well to it. The service costs about £25,000 to keep running annually.”

Find out more about Honeylands by visiting honeylands.org.uk