A COMMUNITY group which encourages people to share their unwanted goods and services with those in need welcomed “lots of smiling faces” to their latest event in Bream last week.

Volunteers with “moneyless” project The Lydney Exchange brought along a wide range of goods to be swapped or gifted to others at Bream Sports Club last Saturday (August 12).

The group organise regular events at which goods, services and ideas are exchanged with the aim of helping those who are struggling with the cost of living crisis.

School uniforms from most of the local schools were on offer at Saturday’s event and were popular with attendees, with the new term starting in less than a month.

There was also an artistic twist to the event in the form of a poetry workshop.

Group member Steve Stockham said of the day: “We had a good turnout with lots of smiling faces and enthusiasm from people attending the event for the first time.

“An added attraction was John Slater’s Haiku Workshop - The Poetry Salmon, an interactive installation highlighting the high levels of pollution in the river Wye.”

Steve added: “We would like to thank all those people who have donated unwanted items to help make this happen.

“We are pleased to be working in partnership with the Forest of Dean Baby Bank in the delivery of school uniforms and would like to thank Now Storage for their generous gift of six months free storage in one of their new units in Station Road, Lydney.”

The group was established last autumn and held their first event at Lydney Community Centre in November, which was a great success.

For more information, search The Lydney Exchange on Facebook.