NORTH Yorkshire members of a national agricultural charity have been honoured by their peers.

The Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (Rabi) named North Yorkshire as the most innovative of its county committees over the past year.

Among events it staged was Cooking Canons, a series of cookery demonstrations by committee chairman Canon Brian Abell and committee member Canon Leslie Morley.

It also staged concerts by the Singing Farmers, a Trafalgar Night dinner and an evening of festive music at Swinton Castle, Masham.

The committee was awarded the Sam Taylor Cup at the Rabi annual meeting in Oxford.

"We never forget that Rabi could not function without these unsung heroes," said Rosemary Nash, Rabi chairman.