YOUNG children celebrated a birthday with an event in memory of some very special friends.

Elaine Griffin and her daughter Holly, the owners of Swallows Nursery at Swimbridge, held a birthday party for Holly's daughter Lucy.

During the afternoon, Elaine and Holly revealed a tree which was planted alongside a plaque in memory of close friends associated with the nursery.

Elaine and Holly started Swallows Nursery in 2009 with the help of their friend Christine Wallis, who passed away this year.

The plaque also remembers Tracey Varnham, whose son Ben attends the nursery, Janet Slee, a very close family friend and Lucy's great grandmother, Joan.

Instead of birthday presents for one-year-old Lucy, a collection box was passed around and £150 was raised for North Devon Hospice and Help for Heroes.

The tree is placed in the nursery garden to give the children and their families somewhere to go for comfort.

Elaine said: "It has been a hard year for many of the families involved with Swallows. We wanted to give them somewhere they can visit and re-live their special memories and make them smile."