HARVEST CELEBRATIONS - At St Mary's, Gladestry.

This year's harvest celebrations began with a thanksgiving service in the church for pupils, family and friends of Gladestry Church in Wales Primary School, followed by a harvest tea in the village hall and the auction of harvest gifts donated by the children.

The parish celebrations followed at 6pm in the church where the congregation saw a short DVD showing a village in Ethiopia called Mecheke and the struggle people have to grow crops and stay well due to lack of clean water. It may be difficult to imagine life without safe water or toilets but it is the daily reality for millions of people across the world.

WaterAid UK, is a member country of WaterAid, an international non-governmental organisation working to enable the world's poorest people gain access to safe water, hygiene and sanitation.

These basic human rights underpin health, education and livelihoods and form the first essential step in overcoming poverty. Around 33,000 children die per year from drinking dirty water.

The school and the church combined their harvest offerings and auction money and were able to send £337 to WaterAid.

For further information on the work of WaterAid, visit their website www.wateraid.org/uk.