A HUGE sum of money was raised for a children's charity at a special auction held in Exbourne recently.

The event ultimately saw £1,200 raised for Okehampton-based charity House of Rachel, which supports orphaned and abandoned children in Bulgaria.

Star lot at the auction, held at the Red Lion, was a hand-made dolls' house made by the auction organiser, Barry Gee, but many other items helped the total tot up, from a holiday in Cornwall to a jar of pickled onions!

Andrew Morgan, founder of House of Rachel, said: 'Auctioneer Rob Pyle did a great job of cajoling people into bidding for the items, using humour and skill to make a great night all round.

'And it was a pleasure for me to be part of the band — The Noisy Neighbours — which provided the music for the evening. Who knew that a six-piece band could squeeze into such a small space!'

Earlier this year, dolls' house builder Barry was part of a team which visited the village of Kichevo in Bulgaria, to prepare a two-acre piece of land as a summer camp, which will provide a home for up to 50 children.

Bulgaria has the highest number of orphaned or abandoned children in Europe. There is minimal provision for those forced to leave orphanages at the age of 18, but through a programme of varied projects, House of Rachel aims to help improve the lives of the children and provide them with skills they will need later in life.

Next spring, House of Rachel will be visiting Krivnya Orphanage, when three teams will be carrying out work on the orphanage's school and homes.