THERE was a strong turnout and plenty of money raised at Alva Parish Church's Autumn Fayre last week.

Held on Saturday, October 26, the event saw people of all ages come together to enjoy the day.

Reverend James McNeil said: "It went very well.

"It was a mix: there was a lot of home baking, and there were some wonderful watercolour pictures by Margaret Wilkie on display.

"There was a lot of craft stuff as well."

James was also pleased with the number of people who attended, which was between two and three hundred.

And that big turnout helped attract a large number of donations towards the church's funds – which was a big boost following some costly repairs last year.

"We raised more than £3,000 for the church fund, and that will be used to help with doing the fabrication work in the building," James added.

"We had a lot of dry rot last year, and we're replacing the money we had to pay.

"But it was nice because [the event] was more of a community event than a fundraiser."

The day after the Autumn Fayre, the church received a visit from a representative from The Gate foodbank.

The charity group's rep told James the church was one of their largest donors, and praised their continued support.

That message was much appreciated by minister, and nicely rounded off what had already been a successful weekend for Alva Parish Church.