AN experienced walker who died doing what he loved will be remembered at a church charity day next month.

Martin Laverick, who was originally from Houghton-le-Spring, tragically lost his life on the first day of a walking holiday with his family last August, when he fell 250 feet from Helvellyn mountain, in the Lake District.

The Patterdale Mountain Rescue team did their best to save the 54-year-old, which his family have never forgotten.

And now Mr Laverick will be remembered at the Etherley Methodist Church, near Bishop Auckland, which is holding its annual charity day on March 3, from 10am until 4pm.

The day, which will include refreshments, stalls and tombola and raffle, will be raising funds for both the Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team and the Teesdale and Weardale Search and Mountain Rescue Team.

Mr Laverick's sister-in-law Carole Laverick, who is a member of the church, said the family were grateful for all the work the rescue teams do.

She said: "People don’t often realise that these teams are made up of volunteers who turn out in very challenging conditions to arrange of incidents, from helping injured or lost people in the hills, to looking for vulnerable missing people in urban settings.

"These teams’ skills and resources continue to grow to keep pace with their developing role and we hope you will come along on March 3 to help to support them."