OKEHAMPTON residents can play their part in an inspiring project to improve the lives of orphans in Bulgaria — with a simple donation of a colourful duvet cover.

There is minimal provision for those forced to leave orphanages in Bulgaria at 18, often with no money, job or family.

Through a programme of diverse projects, the Okehampton-based charity House of Rachel aims to improve the lives of vulnerable Bulgarian youngsters and equip them with the skills they need to cope later in life.

On April 29, a team of ten men and women from the Okehampton area will be going to the Krivnya Orphanage to undertake essential maintenance work aimed at improving the lives of children with special educational needs who live there.

A building team will fix roofs, ceilings and floors and upgrade the basic toilet facilities. A decorating team will paint the grey dormitories to make them bright, vibrant bedroom spaces, and an IT team will install computers to aid the children's education.

Work at the home has already begun. The charity arranged for double-glazed windows to be fitted at Krivnya just in time for the first snow — temperatures in the area regularly reach

-20c in the winter, and the installation of the windows has already made a huge difference.

Charity founder Andrew Morgan said: 'There are approximately 30 boys and girls aged ten and over who currently live in Krivnya, all of whom have special educational needs.

'Because of their special needs, the orphanage school plays a vital role in helping the children to break out of the poverty cycle. However, both the school and the home are in desperate need of repair.

'The prospects for an orphaned child in Bulgaria are poor but for orphaned children with special educational needs the prospects are doubly poor, hence our commitment to helping them.'

The House of Rachel is appealing for brightly coloured, teenage-friendly new or good quality used single-bed duvet covers to replace the old brown and grey blankets currently covering the children's beds.

The target is to collect 40 — one for each bed in the home — before the beginning of April so that they can go out with the advance party.

Cash donations are also welcomed as the team has a lot of materials to buy in order to carry out the building and repair work.

If you have a duvet cover you would like to donate, or would like to help in any other way, you can make donations at OK Leisure on Fore Street during opening hours, or call OK Leisure on 01837 52725.