A FORMER international tennis player recently opened her Beoley garden to the public to raise money for a great cause.


Helen Barker, aged 81, who played tennis at Wimbledon and for Great Britain in the early 1950s as Helen Fletcher, organised the open garden event at her Bleachfield Lane home in Beoley for the Hounds for Heroes charity.


The open garden gave visitors the opportunity to see the beautiful garden in all its glory, but was also a raffle with a huge array of prizes, a tombola, stalls, and a treasure hunt for children plant.


Through this event and others, and generous donations, a total of £5,600 has been raised to go to Hounds for Heroes, which trains and provides puppies as assistance dogs for disabled members of the armed forces and emergency services.


For more details about the charity, see http://www.houndsforheroes.com.