If you’re feeling artistic, come along to the annual Dartmouth Art and Craft Weekend, running for its 15th year, this weekend.

In the Royal Avenue Gardens in Dartmouth, there will be more stalls than ever before, including 20 new to this event. People can watch, talk to and buy from the artists and craft workers in their gazebos throughout the gardens on Saturday, June 23 and Sunday, June 24.

There will be a range of music from ukuleles, fiddlers, jazz and other singers, dance performances from belly dancers and the Dartmouth Dance Academy and many more activities including a treasure hunt.

The Dashing Devon band made up of children from South Hams primary schools will also be performing. A variety of primary schools are involved in the ukulele and guitar band including East Allington, Stoke Fleming, Harbertonford and Stokenham.

The event will be raising money for Childrens Hospice South West and volunteers from the charity will be providing teas, homemade cakes and snacks.

The charity was founded by Eddie Farwell and his late wife, Jill, after they experienced the urgent need for hospice care for children in the South West.

Their two eldest children had life limiting illnesses and they had to travel over four hours from North Devon to Helen House in Oxford, which was then the country’s only children’s hospice.

Sadly, Jill and the two children died but the couple’s wonderful work continues.

The charity now provides hospice care for over 500 families of children with life-limiting conditions from across the South West in the three children’s hospices in the region.

This costs £9.8 million each year, of which only 15 per cent is provided by the government.

The event has been organised by the Dartmouth and District Friends group which raises funds and awareness of this vital charity. This group meet once a month to organise events locally and volunteers are always most welcome.