A CHARITY formed in Gloucestershire to help a small village in Eastern Europe is set to celebrate its 21st anniversary.

The North Nibley Romania Team was established in 1990 by members of the village's congregational church after seeing the shocking news reports from Romania after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Now people from across the country give their time to work in the village of Mina 1 Mai near Brasov.

The name means 'Mine of the First of May' as the village was built around a coal mine, but work at the mine ceased half a century ago.

The large building that once housed the mine offices is now a psychiatric hospital, and it is here the charity focuses its work.

"The hospital is a bleak, imposing building, home to around 150 patients with all sorts of mental illness - schizophrenia, depression, Alzheimer's Disease, learning difficulties and alcoholism," said NNRT chairman Peter Tolson.

"Volunteers give up a couple of weeks of their time each year to help at the hospital, either by getting involved with building projects or simply by spending some time with the patients there."

Charity members come from a wide variety of backgrounds, from building and trades backgrounds to those with nursing experience. One of the team's greatest achievements was the refurbishment of a dilapidated doctor's surgery in the village. Villagers can see a GP in their own village instead of making a journey to a nearby town, and regular surgeries are held to check on the health of babies and the elderly.

The 21st anniversary celebration will be held in Wotton-under-Edge Town Hall on June 11 from 10.30am-3pm and will feature displays showing the team's work in Romania along with games stalls, a tombola, cake stall, raffle and refreshments.

"All the money raised at the celebration will go towards our work in Romania, and show people we still quietly carry on with our work in the psychiatric hospital as there is definitely still a need to help those people who are largely forgotten," added Mr Tolson.

More details of the team's work can be found at www.nnrt.co.uk