A GROUP which helps families at their most desperate turned Bream into a mini Hay-on-Wye with its fourth annual book fair.

Packed with Love provides backpacks of essentials for children in emergency accommodation.

There were 23 authors at the fair promoting their books as well as second-hand volumes and a wide range of crafts.

The works on offer ranged from colourful books for young children to self-help and even zombies.

The winners of the children’s poetry competition, which had a nature theme were also revealed.

The winner in the five-to-seven age category was Oliver George Lynn with his poem about dung beatles.

Lily Taylor was the winner of the eight-to-11 category about Forest streams.

Packed with Love, which has six volunteers, makes 180 packs available and also makes up packages of treats and toiletries for homeless people at Christmas.

Next year they are planning to expand it to providing return to school packs for families in need.

Julie Holder, one of the founders of Packed with Love, said: “We pack 180 packs for children in emergency accommodation, but next year, we are doing the return to school pack for families that just need a little bit of help.

“Our backpacks go out in Gloucestershire, so for a couple of years, we want to concentrate on the Forest of Dean because it's the Forest that supports us.

“We started off with a second-hand book fair in first year and it's just grown from that. We've got 23 authors this year.

“One lady told us it’s like a mini Hay-on-Wye – I’ll take that.”

The fair takes place in the marquees erected for Bream Show at the village sports club.

Mrs Holder said: “We are so grateful to the summer show.

“Without them we could not do this.”