A Dalston man has presented air ambulance medics with a bumper cheque after holding a tractor trundle to celebrate his 80th birthday.
Bill Fisher, an agricultural contractor for nearly fifty years, sat in the driver’s seat of a vintage tractor and made Cumbrian villages rumble with the roar of engines to mark the special occasion.
Ninety tractors took part in the drive on July 13 and raised £2,540 to be split between the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) and Diabetes UK.
This month, Mr Fisher, along with wife, Margaret and his son’s partner, Leeanne Dobson, visited the charity’s airbase at Langwathby to hand GNAAS their share of the funds.
Ms Dobson, who helped organise the event, said: “It was brilliant to meet the team and chat about the amazing work they do. We all appreciate the air ambulance in the local area because we are quite remote and understand time is so important for those that need to get to hospital quickly.
“On the day of the trundle, everybody was so generous. Lots of local businesses came forward to offer prizes for our raffle, and most of all Bill had a wonderful time.
The tractor enthusiasts gathered at Ivegill Village Hall and took on a 40-mile route, passing through Dalston and Caldbeck, before tucking in to birthday cake at Rosley Village Hall and returning to Ivegill where participants were awarded with a rosette.
Mandy Drake, head of fundraising at GNAAS, said: “We want to say a huge thank you to Bill and everybody that took part in the ride. Funds like this are vital to our air ambulance because we are completely funded by the generosity of the public.”
The GNAAS operate three aircraft across Cumbria, the North East and North Yorkshire.
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