In fact, their latest charity event, a ‘Sparkling Afternoon Tea’ at St George’s Court, Old Home Farm, High Grantley, near Ripon, proved such a sell-out success that the ladies have now netted £11,500 in total for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.
St George’s Court’s Lindsey and William Hitchen, long-standing members of Farm Stay UK, the national group of on-farm accommodation providers, hosted the event, helped by ladies from Farm Stay’s Dales and Bronte group and others across to the Yorkshire moors and coast.
Two years ago, the Yorkshire region created a recipe book celebrating 30 years of Farm Stay UK, choosing to raise funds for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance from proceeds of the book’s sale.
Five hundred copies were originally printed and over 3,500 books have now been sold. Funds have also been boosted by charity fund-raisers, when the ladies have served up some fantastic farmhouse fayre, much of it featuring locally produced food.
Yorkshire Farm Stay Chairman Lisa Preston, of Pickersgill Manor Farm, Silsden, said: “We were very close to our target of £10,000 before the St George’s Court event, but to break through the barrier and, in fact, raise considerably more, is a fantastic achievement.
“A total of 126 people turned out to support us and we cannot thank them enough, along with our generous band of sponsors, We are now looking forward to presenting the cheque to the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.”
Keynote sponsors included Barclays, Pinnies and Pearls, of Harrogate, Paynes Dairy in Boroughbridge, Taylors of Harrogate, Pickering-based HPE Print and Cooking Fantastic, of Killinghall.