Gruelling 'helicopter pull' raises £30k

Young farmers pulled the replica helicopter 77 miles (124km) for charity

Young farmers have raised more than £30,000 for an air ambulance charity by pulling a replica helicopter 77 miles (124km) through the countryside.

Sixty-four members of the Drigg Young Farmers Club (YFC) in Cumbria took turns pulling an adapted car, which had been transformed into a model helicopter, from their village to the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) base in Langwathby at the weekend.

YFC chair Rosie Pratt said pushing and pulling the one tonne model up the hilly route had been "very tough for all of us".

She said lots of members and their families had relied on the air ambulance in the past and they had been "overwhelmed" by support from the public on the route.

The YFC completed their Welly the Heli challenge on 20 July, pulling the converted Suzuki Wagon R through Seascale, Gosforth, Beckermet and St. Bees and then further afield through Whitehaven, Workington, Cockermouth, Keswick and Penrith.

People lined the streets, cheering them on and dropping donations into collection buckets as they passed through.

Miss Pratt, 21, said: "It was amazing the amount of support we were given.

"Some people had come out with juice, ice creams, cakes, and they were just doing everything they could to support us and help us along the way."

The rural route was "very tough" because of the hilly terrain, Miss Pratt said

Miss Pratt described the route as "very tricky".

"There was a lot of hills, but it was always good when you got to a downhill and you got to ride it down.

"The support didn't stop, it was so overwhelming to see the amount of people."

Community fundraiser at GNAAS Deborah Usher said they were "absolutely blown away by the incredible effort and determination".

"The money they've raised will make a real difference in our community."

Upon reaching the base they celebrated raising more than £30,000, which is enough to fund a full day of operations at the charity.

Drigg YFC completed their Welly the Heli challenge at the weekend

They celebrated raising £30,000 for the Great North Air Ambulance Service