A SPECIAL fundraiser put together for Cumbria’s Cave Rescue Organisation has raised over £300 and also saw the arrival of a special guest.

The fundraiser, organised by Moira Domican-Gough with her husband Adam, was held at their home at Crina Bottom near Ingleton.

They invited walkers and local residents around for mince pies, warm drinks, and sausage rolls after a long day out in the hills.

Also, in attendance was well-known high-altitude mountaineer Alan Hinkes OBE, who is famous for being the only British mountaineer to claim all 14 Himalayan in 2005.

The funds raised will go toward helping run the much-needed volunteer ran organisation that has been responsible for rescuing injured, lost, or distressed people in the Lake District.

Moira said: “It was a really nice occasion and it was great to see some of the locals come on down. I wasn’t sure if it was going to go ahead because of the weather.

“Last year we did one in the summer which went really well. It was nice to bring the locals up here from the village.

“We did hot drinks, mince pies, sausage rolls which all went down nicely. In the summer we did cakes and scones last time.

“We even had Alan Hinkes at our fundraiser which was really special for us.

“I’ve always had a soft spot for the cave rescuers, as me and my husband both like hiking and we wanted to do some charity work for the mountain rescuers.

“We’ll probably do more in the future.”

The fundraiser was graciously welcomed by the Cave Rescue Organisation who offered their heartfelt gratitude to Moira and Adam for their contributions.

Jake Stapleton of the CRO said: "As a voluntary, charitable organisation we rely on donations from individuals to maintain our readiness to respond to calls for help from people both above, and below, ground in the Dales.

Although much of the personal equipment carried by team volunteers is provided by the individual at their own expense.

"No matter how small, every donation contributes to the running of the team and, ultimately, may help to save a life. Whilst team members are involved in fundraising, we all have commitments outside of the team that also call upon our time and so we are immensely grateful to people like Moira and Adam, and all our supporters who put themselves out to raise money for the team.

"The support that we receive from the local community, and from further afield, is truly humbling.”