A SKENFRITH mum's passion for baking has raised around £2,000 towards the restoration of the village church.

Over the past six years Kath Jasper, 65 has baked thousands of cakes and sold them at St Bridget's Church to visitors and parishioners.

Her Welsh cakes and Bara Brith have become so popular that Mrs Jasper bakes cakes on a weekly basis to keep up with demand.

Visitors who want to buy cakes leave donations of around £3 in an honesty box in the church.

Mrs Jasper's cakes have so far helped to pay for repairs to the organ, a loop system and for a new window at the 800 year-old church which recently underwent major restoration costing £362,000.

"I use the Church and love baking and came up with the idea to sell my cakes to help raise funds," said Mrs Jasper, who previously ran her own catering business.

"We have a lot of visitors, especially from America to the church who buy my cakes". The treats on sale in the Norman-built Grade 1-Listed church include Cherry cake and Almond Tarts.

She said: "I put them on the table inside the church and people leave donations and write lovely messages in a guest book."

Now she is helping to raise the £20,000 needed to restore the Skenfrith Cope - a red velvet priest's vestment which was worn around the shoulders and dates back to the 1500s.

The Cope was lost for many years and re-discovered in the 19th century having been used as an altar cloth.

Reverend Dr Jean Prosser, MBE said it the cope needs repairing and its display case, replacing as it is 200 years-old, too small and has wood worm.

The church is open to visitors between 7.30am and 7pm.