MEMBERS of a tennis club in East Yorkshire took on a 24-hour challenge recently - raising vital funds for Yorkshire Air Ambulance in the process.

Starting at noon on June 19, 79 members of Bubwith Tennis Club came together for 24 hours of continual matches.

In total total, 139 hours of tennis were clocked up over the club’s three courts - and £1,600 was raised for the air ambulance charity.

Lynne Marriage, one of the fundraisers for the club, said: "We had an amazing time, and it was great to see so many people join together in support of the club and the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, which is a charity close to many people’s hearts in this area."

A raffle featuring a Wimbledon 2020 towel donated by the All-England Tennis Club, plus additional prizes from club sponsors, helped to boost the money collected - as well as support from the local pub, The White Swan.

The Friends of Bubwith School (FOBS) added to the event selling cakes and much needed refreshments.

The £1,600 cheque was in addition to a further £120 collected for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance via donation buckets and a separate charity cheque to the value of £100.

Kieron Hardwick, who accepted the cheque on behalf of Yorkshire Air Ambulance, said: "We would like to thank Bubwith Tennis Club for their incredible support and generosity and congratulate them on completing their phenomenal 24 hour tennis marathon.

"It costs £12,000 a day to keep both of Yorkshire’s air ambulances maintained and in the air and the £1,600 will help tremendously towards of our vital funding and enable us to continue our lifesaving work across the region."