A GARDEN trail and street sale are being held in Chalford to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee this weekend.

The festivities are also doubling as a fundraiser for Chalford Community Stores, which is trying to raise funds for a move to new premises.

From 11am to 4pm this Sunday, June 3, garages and stalls along the High Street will be brimming with pre-owned furniture, toys, clothes and bric-a-brac, while homemade teas, pottery and plants will also be on sale.

At the same time, 23 of the village’s much –admired, cottage gardens will be opening their gates to the public.

The day is the second in a series of planned fundraisers designed to generate enough cash to finance the purchase of a new property for the village shop.

So far the iconic shop has secured funding from the Plunkett Foundation through a grant and a loan administered by the Co-operative bank.

At a meeting of Chalford Parish Council last month, the authority also agreed to make a one off grant of £14,000 to the shop to help meet its costs.

Chairman of the council, Chris Ellis said: "The shop serves as a focal point for the village and it provides an essential service.

"If the parish had not provided the grant the chances are the shop would have foundered."

Jan Petrie, who is on the Community Stores committee, said they were ‘pulling out all the stops’ in order to help pay for the Stores and Post Office’s relocation to new premises in the autumn.