Government minister Nick Hurd has heard how public, private and third sector organisations in Okehampton are working together to get the town back on its feet after a series of redundancy announcements last year.

Mr Hurd, the minister for the civil society, met with businesses and residents yesterday on a visit with Devon County Council's cabinet member for economy, Will Mumford, who chairs the Okehampton Works Partnership, and Central Devon MP Mel Stride.

Mr Hurd spoke to community leaders at the Ockment Centre and met businesses at the Okehampton Business Centre to hear about regeneration initiatives.

It follows a series of job losses last year when firms including desserts manufacturer PoleStar Foods, chocolate manufacturer Browne's, Robert Wiseman Dairies and the Kerry Group announced redundancies.

Since then, there has been a co-ordinated recovery plan that has including short-term measures like food parcels through to longer term measures like developing employment space.

Coun Mumford said the minister had been impressed by what he had seen. "The Big Society is being pitched by Whitehall but it's not a new idea. People living in rural communities like this see the Big Society in action day in, day out," he said.