THE hard work of a team of charity workers from Okehampton has ensured that a crucial orphanage in Bulgaria helping children with special needs can remain open.

An advance party of four members of the House of Rachel charity team headed to Krivnya Orphanage in May to prepare for a major renovation project. Upon arrival, the team discovered the orphanage was threatened with closure, the news coming just a few hours after the team had visited Provadia Orphanage, another orphanage helped by the House of Rachel. If the orphanage failed an upcoming inspection, it would close.

The building team followed the advance party a fortnight later. New windows, suspended ceilings, lighting, and laminate flooring was put into two newly decorated classrooms, and children's bedrooms were redecorated. The communal living area was painted, new toilets were installed, floors were retiled and vital plumbing repairs were carried out.

The hard work has ensured that Krivnya Orphanage, the only orphanage for children with special needs within a 200 kilometre radius, passed its inspection.

Andrew Morgan, House of Rachel founder, said: 'On arrival at Krivnya we sat down for a meeting with the director to finalise our plans. We were a bit taken aback when she asked if we could do work which we had not previously agreed. She then dropped a bombshell - that they were due an inspection and if we don't do this work they will close us down.

'Several years previously we had learned that Provadia Orphanage was due to be closed and the girls who lived there were at risk of being thrown out onto the streets. So we took a team of builders to start work on saving it. A few difficult years passed while we battled with a difficult mayor to get the Orphanage re-opened.

'We visited again and saw that the orphanage was up and running as a rehab day centre for children from local orphanages and the residential unit was about to be re-opened. The visit took place just a few hours before we were sat in the office of the director of Krivnya, learning that they faced closure as well.

'We were so empowered by the knowledge that we had successfully saved Provadia from closure that we felt confident enough to tackle the amended project at Krivnya. Staff at Krivnya confirmed that if the orphanage closed, the children risked ending up on the streets.'

Staff and children at the orphanage helped paint the outside of the building and clearing the garden. After a painful wait, the team got the news they were waiting for on September 19 - that Krivnya had passed its inspection and could continue to operate.

The House of Rachel team is planning to return in 2014 to carry out further crucial work at Krivnya, and needs to raise funds to ensure that can happen. One of the big events for the charity is a charity auction at the Red Lion in Exbourne on Saturday, October 5. A small team of House of Rachel supporters will undertake a triathlon on November 24, and are looking for sponsorship.

To find out more visit http://www.houseofrachel.org">www.houseofrachel.org or call Andrew Morgan on 01837 52725.