When a village church needed roof repairs in 1969 its residents got together to see how they could help.

The households decided they would open up their gardens and make cups of tea for sale from their homes.

The event was such a success – it raised �206 – that they decided to repeat it the next year, and the next year and the next year...

The Thriplow Daffodil Weekend, taking place tomorrow (Saturday) and Sunday, is now an annual fixture.

Around 10,000 people a year flock to the South Cambridgeshire village to see it swathed in a host of varying crops of daffodils and enjoy activities, entertainment, home-made cakes and watch craftsmen at work.

All the work is done by the community of 450 residents.

“The whole village pulls together for the event,” said Dan Murton from the Thriplow Daffodil Weekend Trust. “Residents are involved in everything from opening their gardens and running stalls to serving teas.”

Their efforts to date have raised �300,000 for numerous charities and won it the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service last year.

One of the charities set to benefit this year is Tom’s Trust, set up in memory of the nine-year-old who died of a brain tumour in 2010.

Mum Debbie Whiteley said: “Tom is buried in Thriplow and we live in the next village along. We’ve always visited the Daffodil Weekend as a family so it is really poignant for us that the festival is supporting Tom’s Trust.”

For information visit http://thriplow.org.uk/cms/dwweekend.thriplow