The Abergavenny Crafty Women project has been going from strength to strength in recent months - and the aspirations of one regular member have even caught the attention of HM The Queen.

Karen Godfrey supports the project both as an individual and through the My Day My life organisation, which attends the Tuesday group.

As a member of the latter, Karen worked with the Crafty Women team on a scheme to create memory boxes.

A memory box is a container that holds personal belongings - photos, music, messages and objects - that conjure up happy memories and Karen’s box contained special items reminding her of her nan, who was well known as an opera singer.

Karen feels strongly that her nan has given her the inspiration to become an opera singer herself. She’s already known for her singing abilities through the My Day My Life organisation, on one occasion singing along to Ave Maria with harpist Anne Deholm, who also happens to be the harpist to the HRH the Prince of Wales. Her wonderful vocals have also serenaded many a crafting session.

In fact Karen is so fond of singing that she decided as part of the ’memory box’ project - and with the help of MCC’s Sara Warshawski, Abergavenny Crafty Women Trustee - to send a letter and photograph to the Queen, describing her dream of singing Ava Maria at the Royal Albert Hall.

Karen was thrilled to receive a reply from the Queen’s lady-in-waiting and proudly has the letter mounted on her wall at home for all her family and friends to see.

The letter says the Queen was interested to learn that Karen enjoyed singing and that she was ‘in her thoughts’.

Project Coordinator Sue Jones and the management committee of Crafty Women are tremendously proud of Karen and wish her all the best in her singing career.

Earlier this year the group was recognised in the Gavo Achievement Awards for its outstanding contribution to volunteering in Monmouthshire.