FOUR WALTON friends claim they have helped save more than 100 lives after holding a bumper sale for southern African famine victims.Lynne Dunnett and three other friends raised £2,800 at the "Just What You're Looking For" sale at St Mary's Church Hall in Walton on Saturday afternoon.

FOUR WALTON friends claim they have helped save more than 100 lives after holding a bumper sale for southern African famine victims.

Lynne Dunnett and three other friends raised £2,800 at the "Just What You're Looking For" sale at St Mary's Church Hall in Walton on Saturday.

"We were aiming to raise £1,000 which would be enough to buy food to feed 40 people until the next main harvest in March 2003," said Mrs Dunnett.

"The response from the community has been so tremendous that we've far exceeded our target and raised enough to save 112 lives."

She said St Mary's Church hall was packed as crowds searched through stalls filled with nearly new clothes, children's toys, books, plants and household goods.

A silent auction of promises also proved a success with a week's holiday in Norfolk, tennis coaching and violin and guitar lessons included in the variety of lots.

"The most popular item was advertised as 'Big strong man available for one hour's gardening'," said Dawn Wright, the auction organizer.

"Several ladies willingly bid for his services."

The Reverend Keith Dunnett, curate at the St Mary's Walton and Cavendish Community Churches thanked all those who helped, through donating items, looking after stalls, and buying the goods on sale.

The four friends, Lynne Dunnett, Dawn Wright, Felicity Meyer and Vikki Pearson, have all been actively involved in the southern African aid effort.

Miss Pearson, 23, returned from Zambia earlier this year after helping poor children receive vital food. And Mrs Dunnett, 38, travelled to drought-stricken Malawi with her husband and three children three years ago to repair an irrigation system.

The £2,800 raised at the sale and auction will now go to the Tearfund, one of the many relief charities working in the southern African region, which has set up an appeal for the crisis.

Donations to the famine relief efforts can be made via Tearfund. Cheques should be made payable to Tearfund and sent to 'Southern Africa Crisis', Freepost, Tearfund, Teddington, Middlesex, TW11 8BR. Alternatively donations can be made by credit card by calling 0845 3558355 (local rate calls).