A LITTLE church has a giant task to save a 200-year-old organ to continue to bring music to services, weddings, funerals and baptisms, for years to come.

The parish needs to raise £18,000 to restore the Victorian instrument at St Andrews' Church, Leysters, near Tenbury Wells.

"We are a small parish of about 200 parishioners," said parochial church council secretary Amanda Griffiths.

"It's a lot of money for a small village, so we are reaching out to the wider community, who often enjoy our services as visitors."

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A professional expert reported the organ, made in Worcester, was already second-hand when installed in 1890.

"The organ is worthy of restoration. This would add to the 132 years it has already served at Leysters, with an earlier life of another 40 to 50 years, a green musical instrument," said Dr James Berrow.

The village is holding an Open Gardens and Scarecrow Trail on Sunday, May 28, with a grand raffle.

Villagers are opening their gardens, making Victorian-themed scarecrows, and there are teas and stalls in the village hall (HR6 0HP), along with vintage vehicles at The Duke of York pub.

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"This is a huge target for us to raise, but we are already heartened by the response of villagers and local businesses, with an auction at the Duke of York, which raised a whopping £1,200, " said Mrs Griffiths.

"I'm sure anyone who has attended an event at the church, particularly our Christmas Eve candle-lit service, will realise what an asset our modest organ is to the atmosphere of our peaceful little church.

We look forward to welcoming even more visitors to our little village to support our fund-raising efforts."