A holiday for Romanian orphans came close to turning to disaster when floods hit parts of Eastern Europe last month.

Val Newton, who runs the charity Wales Romania Aid from her home near Cross Hands, had been in the region with 105 youngsters when the waters started rising.

Torrential rain flooded their campsite, but did little more than give Val and her charges wet feet when water crept into their tents.

They were high in the Carpathian Mountains, with the valleys and lower land worst affected by the deluge, which flooded hundreds of miles of roads.

"I could see water being pumped out of houses just four miles away and I was worried the holiday would turn into a disaster.

"But in the end we were OK and after a couple of days the sun came out," said Val, who had taken the youngsters on their 12th annual camping holiday - and the generosity of the people of South West Wales ensured they had everything they wanted. They celebrated 18 birthdays with parties and had their own Christmas day when everyone had a gift.

Swansea's Rowberry's shops and Evans and Wilkins in Carmarthen donated hundreds of pounds of new clothes for children, including teenagers. Knitted dolls, bikes and even a rocking horse came from kind-hearted families in Llangyfelach, Sketty, Dunvant and Gorseinon.

More than £7,500 had been raised by South Wales Evening Post readers to pay for the holiday, 50 per cent more than Val had initially asked for.

It turned out the extra cash was needed, as soaring fuel prices worldwide bumped up the costs of the trip. But she still had enough cash left over to arrange a weekend break for around 25 Kosovan children as well.

Val, who is about to start collecting pasta and rice from school and church harvest festivals, will be taking them on their mini-holiday in October.

She said: "A few years ago I was paying 25p a gallon for diesel - this summer it was 67p a litre. I spent an awful lot more on transport than in previous years."

Any schools or churches wanting to contribute to Val's rice and pasta appeal can contact her at Wales Romania Aid, Tycroes, Maesybont, Cross Hands, telephone 01269 843345.