Bere Ferrers’ weekly Community Shop and Café was buzzing on New Year’s Eve, with entertainment provided by the Tavy Tars.

In addition to the Tavy Tars, there was also a cheque presentation to the Bere Peninsula Food Bank by the chair of the Tavy and Tamar Apple Group.

The amount of £600 was from the profit from the Bere Apple Fest in October, held in the Church Hall — which also houses the Community Shop and Café.

Chair Peter Crozier said that communities came first with the Apple Group and they had donated money to local charities over the past 20 years.

The cheque was presented to Glenys Whelan, joint co-ordinator of the food bank, who thanked the group for their donation. Glenys said that the food bank was supporting about 25 local families at the moment and still needed everyone’s help. Donation boxes are in Bere Pharmacy, Hope Cottage, Holy Trinity and St Andrew’s Churches and Bere Ferrers Church Hall.

The Church Hall also houses a permanent stall in aid of St Andrew’s Church in Bere Ferrers, with proceeds going to the upkeep of the church and the church hall itself. Village resident Ann Street has been running the stall and the selling of donated items on that and on the internet and in local shops, plus a second-hand book stall, for sixteen and a half years, during which time £19,500 has been raised. Saturday’s shop and café saw her hand over the reins to the stall to Margaret Willmott, although Ann will continue to organise the book stall. Ann thanked everyone for their support over the years.

The Apple Group will be organising Wassailing based in the Church Hall at the end of January – an event which hasn’t been able to be held in recent years due to covid. Tickets will be available in due course either from Margaret Willmott or at the Community Shop.