CHARITY Lent lunches organised by church groups from villages around Richmond have proved very profitable this year.

Churchgoers raised £1,000 for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance and paramedics from the service landed at Easby Abbey, on the banks of the River Swale, to receive the cheque.

The cash was raised by congregations at Easby, Skeeby, Bolton-on-Swale and Brompton-on-Swale.

Skeeby church warden Brenda Hall said: "We pick a local charity each year and, since we have all seen or read about the air ambulance saving lives across the Yorkshire area, we felt it richly deserved our support."