An army of good neighbours is seeking new recruits to continue its community projects funded by events such as bottle auctions, raffles, quizzes and barbecues.

The latest events by the Horrabridge Cavaliers volunteers are a raffle this Saturday (August 31) from 4pm at the London Inn to support a sponsored row in aid of Ukrainian veteran soldiers by famous villager Lee Spencer and a free barbecue on Friday, September 6, at Weir Park from 3-5pm, both in the village.

The barbecue is open to anyone to come along and meet the Cavaliers, find out what they do and possibly join their ranks and support villagers in need.

Cavalier volunteer Andrew Collins, a Royal Navy chief petty officer, said his biggest achievement with the Cavaliers was in 2018 when he refurbished the Horrabridge World War One war memorial.

He said: “We are all motivated to do some good for our community and help other in need. We have around 20 members, however we are always looking for more people to join – they will be assured of a warm welcome.

“The Horrabridge Cavaliers is more than a charity; they embody the spirit of community. Their legacy are countless acts of compassion backed by fun and getting together and sharing stories. The Cavaliers ensure no neighbour walks alone. They’ve been the heartbeat of Horrabridge, offering support and securing connections and resilience as a true community, for decades. We want to ensure this continues.”

The Cavaliers were formed nearly 50 years in 1977 to build a swimming pool for the former village school and continued as a general support organisation for the village. The support comes in a variety of forms, a cash donation for much-needed equipment for a youth organisation, for instance, or giving a family a helping hand. It has supported the village by running quiz nights and providing a barbecue at numerous village events. All the money generated by these events goes into the Horrabridge Cavaliers charity account. During the pandemic villagers and groups struggling financially were given grants and hundreds of Easter Eggs delivered to children. Anyone wanting to support the Horrabridge Cavaliers can email [email protected]