A RETIRED amateur gardener helped raise nearly £700 by opening her garden up for charity.

Helen Auty, 71, welcomed a record-breaking 90 guests to spend an afternoon in her garden in Cheyne Avenue, South Woodford on August 14.

She has been doing open garden events for several years as part of the National Garden Scheme, which has raised over £1.5 million for charities like Cancer Research UK and the National Care Association so far.

Helen said: “It was a fantastic turnout, considering lots of people were on holiday and it was the Olympics.

“People were particularly impressed by bee hives – we sold over 40 jars of honey.

“We also raised £675, which will be passed on to charities that care for people in need.

“I have a lot of friends who should still be here but aren’t because they’ve lost their battles with cancer, so it’s good to be able to help those charities.”