A MUSIC festival that has gone from strength to strength has raised more than £18,000 for a cancer centre in its fifth year.

The one-day Cowtonbury festival is held annually at The Beeswing pub in East Cowton and raises thousands for charity each year.

A wide variety of musicians perform for free throughout the day and it has now been revealed that the 2018 festival raised £18,252 for Macmillan’s Sir Robert Ogden Cancer Centre at the Friarage Hospital in Northallerton.

Beth Robinson, landlady at the Beeswing, thanked the festival’s organisers, musicians and everyone who has supports the event.

She said: “This is the fifth year we have run it and is has grown in that time.

“Since 2014 it has raised over £70,000 which is great.

“We had 14 bands play this year, everything from acoustic performances to rock and pop and they all do it for free.

“The first year it took just over £7,000 for charity and it has just got bigger and bigger.”