A VINTAGE tea party and baking contest is raising funds for a new puppy sensory garden at a rescue centre.

Paws for Tea takes place at Thirsk Town Hall on Sunday, May 14 and will help mark the 30th anniversary of the Blue Cross for Pets charity.

Between 11am and 4pm there will be a free, 1940s-style vintage tea party, complete with a raffle to win a cake mixer, face painting and other activities.

At 1pm there will be a gala-style baking competition.

The contest will be judged by The Yorkshire Vet’s Peter Wright, one of the stars of the Channel 5 documentary series which follows the work of Julian Norton and Peter at Skeldale Veterinary Centre in Thirsk.

It is raising money for the Blue Cross charity and should help pay for the completion of a new puppy area at the charity’s rescue centre near Topcliffe, Thirsk.

Cake entries should be brought to the town hall for 11am. There will be categories for both adults and children, with prizes and rosettes to be won. Cake entries are £2 per adult and £1 per child.

Liz White, from Blue Cross, said: “All funds are to go towards completing our puppy sensory garden at our centre near Topcliffe, Thirsk.

“We are hoping this year to be a big event as we are celebrating our 30th year, which is wonderful.”