VILLAGERS braved the stormy weather last week to come to the Olde Plough Inn at Bere Ferrers and raise money for Y2Y (Youth 2 Youth).

Yelverton Rotary Club organised an evening of gourmet seafood and a singalong with the Tavy Tars as part of their EAT project.

The project is aimed at teaching young people how to prepare family meals. The £450 raised at the event will be matched by a grant of £450 from Yelverton Rotary Club.

Y2Y was created in 1999 by the Bere Peninsula Rector Nick Law with the assistance of local volunteers and last year, they moved into a new building that provides them with a clean, warm and safe room to hold their twice weekly meetings.

The inn was packed, as villagers raised the roof singing along with the Tavy Tars’ favourite sea shanties.

Rosie Hinge, chair of the youth services committee for the Rotary Club of Yelverton, said: ‘It started in 1999 after a nasty incident where someone committed suicide, it was decided that there had to be a forum where young people could meet and express themselves.

‘They operate out of a very nice new building and are funded by money collected at charity events. They are going to use the money they raised recently to buy a cooker – they only have a microwave at the moment. Saucepans were given to them as another donation.

‘They meet two nights a week and on one of the two nights there would be a cooking lesson.

‘They will be working on a £20 budget so will be buying it, making it and sharing it between themselves — so very much starting with a blank sheet of paper. It will be home cooked meals and things like cakes, pastry and biscuits— we want them to be thinking “why have I chosen this rather than having a microwave meal?”

‘Some of the kids come from homes where people don’t like cooking and some of them don’t come from very good homes at all.

‘One parent is going to give a lesson on cooking Thai food soon and we have a group of parents working as trustees.’