Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason will beat cake batter, ahead of a charity auction in a garden party at his home in Corsham, to raise money for two Wiltshire causes.

Mr Mason and wife Annette hope thousands of people will visit Middlewick House on June 21 and 22, to raise money for Springboard Opportunity Group in Chippenham and the Wiltshire Bobby Van Trust.

The Masons heard about the nursery’s funding cut in the Gazette - the Wiltshire Times' sister paper - and decided to do their bit to help raise the £10,000 lost from a Government grant.

Mr Mason said: “If we have a successful weekend, we hope to be able to replace as much of that shortfall as possible.

“We wanted to support two different charities who impact on the lives of folk locally. We thought about one for the elderly and one for the young.

“We had already chosen the Bobby Van Trust, then we heard about Springboard Opportunity Group and the shortfall highlighted by the Gazette & Herald.

“We read about the special role it plays supporting families of pre-school children with special needs.”

Mr Mason, a keen cook, will create a cake to auction off.

Mrs Mason said: “Nick is an excellent cook and often creates wonderful diner parties for our friends.

“When his daughters and sons are home, he still makes a special biscuit with a secret recipe which I know includes Mars Bars.”

Celebrity MasterChef finalist Christine Hamilton, who lives near Malmesbury, will also be baking.

Last year more than 3,000 people visited the gardens of the home once owned by the Duchess of Cornwall.

She put in an appearance as the patron of the Bobby Van Trust, which helps elderly people to make their homes more secure.