Generous Christmas shoppers and revellers support North Devon Salvation Army

Shoppers and revellers around North Devon may well have enjoyed listening to a Salvation Army trumpeter playing Christmas carols around the region over the festive period.

That was Captain Mark Read, one of the leaders at North Devon Salvation Army, who has been busy playing at various events from community carol singing in Woolacombe to busy Saturday shopping days on Barnstaple High Street.

This is the organisations main fundraising for the entire year and North Devon Salvation Army has said once again, local communities have demonstrated enormous generosity, donating £7,850.50 to support its work.

Mark said: “Fundraising like this allows us to use resources to be more responsive to the needs of our community.

“We take seriously the trust demonstrated in us when amounts like this are given – our community give believing their gift will be used to support a need near them - and it will.

“Not a penny leaves North Devon and we put it all into our work with homelessness, housing and poverty, family and early years support, community development, youth and schools work and mental health support.”

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In recent years, North Devon Salvation Army has increased its activity throughout the area.

The organisation has taken on two additional employees; a community programme developer in 2024 and a family programme developer in 2025 as well as increasing its team of volunteers.

Its work now extends from Lynton to Bideford, with particular focus on where the Salvation Army centres are located in Ilfracombe and Barnstaple.