WHEN eight-year-old Bella Stephens saw the horror of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria she went into fundraising action.

Bella, from Bovey Tracey, organised a bake sale fundraiser at Bovey Tracey Parish Church of PPT and on Sunday raised £400 for Tearfund and the Disaster Emergency Committee.

Bella says: ‘When I heard about all the people who had lost their homes in Turkey and Syria I wanted to do something to help.

‘Last year I organised a bake sale for Ukraine and which was really successful so I thought I would hold another bake sale!

‘I set myself a target amount to raise as on the Tearfund website it says that £125 will feed a family for a month.

‘Thanks to everyone’s support we smashed that target and raised £400!

‘I am so grateful to everyone who helped me bake and everyone who came along to buy cakes!’

Her mum, Rosie, says: ‘Bella started planning her bake sale two weeks ago when we heard news of the Earthquake in Turkey and Syria.

‘She worked hard to research what Tearfund and the Disaster Emergency Committee needed money for and made some posters to advertise her fundraiser.

‘Bella stood at the front of church to give an announcement about the bake sale and encouraged people to help her bake and to dig deep to support the fundraiser.

‘She also asked some of her friends from church to help her sell the cakes on the day.

‘The day before the bake sale Bella spent all day in the kitchen making cupcakes, flapjacks, biscuits and scones – helped by her two-year-old brother Joey (who wanted to be the taste tester!)

On Sunday Bella arrived at church an hour early to set up the gazebo in the church garden, tables for cakes and the information boards she had created.

She ordered red table cloths and red napkins because she had researched the flags of Turkey and Syria and found they both had red in them.

At 10.30am, after the church service had finished, Bella and friends had a long queue of people who wanted to support her and buy some cakes. Everyone thought that the variety of bakes was amazing!

After every cake was sold, Bella spent time packing up and returning empty cake tins to those who had helped, then counted all the money taken and was absolutely delighted that the bake sale raised £400!

Bella also goes to Brownies in Bovey and is hoping to achieve her ‘charity badge’.

‘Some of her Brownies friends came along to support the bake sale which was wonderful,’ said her mum.

‘Bella was also looking forward to going in to school on Monday morning and sharing the total raised with her class, her teacher and headteacher who have been cheering her on!’

Bella’s parents Tim and Rosie added: ‘We think Bella’s compassion for others is amazing and we also love how she encourages others to get involved in her fundraising efforts.

‘We would like to thank everyone who created such delicious bakes to support Bella and to all those who so generously donated their money to this worthy cause.’