Axminster’s Community Waffle House has celebrated its first year of business by giving away all its profits to a fellow social enterprise group in the town.

Serving up the popular Belgian dessert at its West Street café has enabled the not-for-profit organisation to present a cheque for £1,004 to Light up Axminster.

Reflecting on the past 12 months, director Timothy Whiteway said: "We know that the high-street is not an easy place to sustain a business so to be able to have a four figure profit at the end of our first year to put back into our community is an amazing feeling."

As well as giving back financially, the 'Waffle' team has launched a number of community initiatives, made possible with support from the National Lottery Community Fund.

This has enabled it to host and support more than 1,600 people in local community groups and hand out 840 free waffles and drinks thanks to customers using Waffle's community cards to provide people with £5 vouchers to spend there.

Sophie McLachlan, director, has been blown away by the generosity of local residents.

She said: "It was the community that got us up and running, the community that are buying into our vision with real excitement and it's this amazing community that we thrilled to give back to."

The team has a core of volunteers as well as employing eight local staff, one of whom is the group's co-ordinator Leah Hastings who said: "Our staff and volunteers are incredible - they make every single person feel noticed and valued and that's at the core of what we are about."

Light Up Axminster are toasting their own success after recently opening the Cornerhouse Café and Bakery next to the Lemon Plaice fish and Chip shop.

Cindy Furse and the team plan to use this as a base from which to continue bringing light and joy to Axminster through the many events and projects they organise for the town.

'Waffle' is now on the lookout for community groups and charities to nominate as the beneficiaries of any profits in 2020.

To make a recommendation, contact Matt Smith by a mail at matt@waffle.org.uk or call him on 07864139259.