Volunteers and supporters attended a thanksgiving service at Whitchurch to mark the anniversary of Operation Sunshine South West, a charity which sends containers full of donated goods to needy communities in Africa.

To mark the occasion, founder of Operation Sunshine Kathy Harding paid a special visit to talk about how far the charity had come since its humble beginnings.

Kathy started the charity in Beare near Exeter and encouraged the help of St Andrew's Church. Starting by packing sacks of old clothes, shoes and other goods in a dining room, the project grew and the premises did too, and the South West branch now operates from several sheds at Hurdwick Farm in Tavistock, which are used for free, courtesy of the farm owner.

Kathy lives in Zambia and runs the Zambian end of the charity. She had not been back to England for nine years.

She said: 'I've come over especially for the celebration, which was wonderful. I had no idea the charity could ever grow to this, when I started it I didn't think that 30 years down the line it would be this big.

'There is a lovely unity and harmony here and after going to the sheds where they pack the donations, you can see everybody is so happy — there's so much togetherness.'

The service of thanksgiving was conducted by the Rev Sean Brassil, and talks were given by Ann Tregarthen, organiser of Operation Sunshine South West, Felicity Derry-Thomas, former organiser of the charity and Kathy Harding. Prayers were read by the Rev Miranda Donne.

After the service guests congregated in Whitchurch Village Hall for tea and cakes, to reminisce, chat and to meet Kathy. Volunteers from the Folkestone branch of Operation Sunshine were also in attendance.

Ann Tregarthen said: 'It has been wonderful to have our Folkestone friends here with us. The celebration has been great — everybody said the service was wonderful.'

Ian Parker, chairman of the 'Literacy in a Box' charity which sends stationary and school supplies to underprivileged communities, was also in attendance as the charity had recently sent a number of boxes out to Zambia in one of the Operation Sunshine containers.

Ian said: 'We send school supplies, stationary and footballs etc, pack them in a box and send them off on containers and weeks later they are in Zambia.

One Literacy Box is enough for 25 children. If they are fed and watered, they will work their way out of poverty — but they need education to do it.'