A COMMUNITY fund which supports charities and local services has donated £50,000 to 12 organisations in Yorkshire.

The Countryside Community Fund has been established to support local charities, food banks and organisations providing essential local services.

The organisations that have benefitted from Countryside’s Yorkshire donation include Yorkshire Air Ambulance, Ryedale Carers, The Trussell Trust, and Zoe's Place Baby Hospice.

The charities work hard to support people in the community affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. While the crisis has created a surge in demand for their services, it has simultaneously limited their provision by presenting logistical and financial challenges.

Jenny Jones, Yorkshire Air Ambulance fundraising manager, said: “To all at Countryside, we thank you for your incredible support and generosity. It costs £12,000 a day to keep both of Yorkshire’s air ambulances maintained and in the air and the money raised will help us continue our mission to save lives across Yorkshire.”

She added: “As with all charities, the impact of the pandemic on both our activities and fundraising has already been significant. Teams are now trained to respond using full PPE, so doctors and paramedics can still carry out life-saving emergency procedures.

"We have also had to adapt both helicopter cockpits with a protective plastic screen that now shields our pilots as far as possible.”