MARGARET Tucker and Derek Shapland will open their garden at Blackberry Ridge, 11 Victoria Crescent in Crediton on Saturday, August 18, from 2.30pm to 5pm in aid of charity.

Admission will be £2, which will include a plated afternoon tea (three to four items). There will be a raffle and a bring and buy and bric-a-bric stall.

All money raised will go towards Christmas Shoeboxes for Moldova, the poorest country in Eastern Europe.

Margaret explained: “Many children do not have any Christmas gifts, especially those living in the country, where life is very tough, up to minus 40deg in winter. Their small houses have earth floors and are very cold.

“A wood stove is used for heating and cooking etc and jobs are very scarce.

“The shoe boxes are taken out in late November by Hugh Scudder of the charity Christian Response and his volunteers from Exmouth.

“They are then distributed around the country and whilst there they run soup kitchens and a party, which is when they hand out the boxes.

“No charge is made for taking the boxes, all this is voluntary. Hugh also takes a lorry out in August, with clothes, bed linen etc, plus logs to help with the winter heating.

“Over the years I have received several letters, not in English, but it was obvious that they were letters of thanks!”

If the day is wet everything will be transferred indoors. Margaret is also asking for a couple of willing volunteers to help on the stalls.

Margaret added: “The money raised will go towards buying chocolates for the shoe boxes, as they love chocolate and that is a real real treat for them.”

Carol Furze