A CAMPAIGN group to bring a refugee family to Bridport will be holding a stall in the town centre next weekend to help raise funds.

The Bridport Refugee Support Campaign is holding a stall at Bucky Doo Square from Saturday, 24 April from 9am to 1pm.

Two members of the group's committee, Margie Barbour and Ann Langridge, have been planting seeds and nurturing cuttings for weeks, ready for the spring sale.

Ms Barbour said: “Lemon trees grow easily in Syria and so we wanted to see if we could grow some to sell for the campaign."

She added: “Growing lemon trees from seeds is quite a challenge, but we were delighted when the seeds did germinate and they have grown into small healthy plants which, with the right care, will develop into lemon trees.

"We will have advice sheets about how to grow them, which should be in terracotta pots in a sheltered, sunny spot such as in front of a south- or west-facing wall, and moved indoors in winter. We particularly want to thank Charlie Groves of Groves Nurseries who generously donated 20 terracotta pots for the lemon trees.”

There will be a range of other plants available on the day - including gypsophila, dahlias, larkspur, ageratum, scabious, digitalis, centaurea, gladioli and tomato and lavender plants. Pink and blue hydrangeas taken from cuttings will also be on sale.

The central aim of the Bridport Refugee Support Campaign is to bring a family to Bridport under the Home Office Community Sponsorship Scheme which is a safe and legal route to resettlement for refugees escaping from countries affected by war, persecution or natural disaster. The scheme aims to help refugee families become valued members of their new community.

Barry Lovejoy, chairman of the campaign, said: “Everyone knows from their TV screens the plight of refugees from all over the world.

"Bridport is a big-hearted town. Our committee now has the task of raising enough money to be able to bring over a family and look after them in the first instance while they are finding their feet.

He added: "This plant stall is first of a series of fundraising activities we have planned as lockdown eases.”

To find out more about the campaign visit the website www.bridportrefugee.org.uk or write to the committee at bridportRSG@gmail.com