Buxton Methodist Church's charity event with a difference raises more than £200

Church members were out in force at the Buxton Spring Fair planting runner bean and sunflower seeds in buckets on the church forecourt.

The aim of these Buckets of Hope was to show solidarity for the families sharing their stories as part of this year’s appeal - from May 10-16 - which is focusing on work in Nairobi, Kenya.

Intense poverty means families have a daily struggle to feed their children.

But with tools, seeds and specialist training from Christian Aid’s partner, Beacon of Hope, families are learning how to make the most of a small space in the city to grow a steady supply of fresh vegetables to cook or sell.

Kate MacLean, spokesperson for the Buxton Methodist Church group, said: “We wanted to show how food and flowers can be grown in buckets in small urban plots, just like our Christian Aid partners are doing in Kenya.

“The idea was to have people sponsoring a bean or a sunflower and, although we didn’t get much actual sun, we did raise around £230. We also showed a lot of people how to grow things like beans and explained about the work going on in Nairobi.”