Methodists in Cheshire West have raised more than £10,000 to help rescuers find missing people more quickly.
The money was found by the church’s Chester and Delamere Forest circuit in an 18 month project.
At a circuit meeting at Wesley Methodist Church in St John Street, Chester, superintendent minister the Rev Neil Stacey presented the Cheshire Search and Rescue Team with a cheque for £10,589.
The money will be used to buy new radios for the team helping to make them more efficient and find missing people quicker.
The church says that when the charity fundraising project began the target of £10,000 ‘seemed a very long way away’.
But with every church in the circuit making a contribution to help reach the target, the goal was surpassed.
Some smaller churches raised amounts much greater than their size would suggest and the events held to raise money varied enormously.
Collections were taken at circuit services and individual churches taking in Easter and through the summer via harvest to Christmas.
There were several soup lunches, a safari supper and special meals along with quizzes, bring and buy sales and a large number of coffee mornings, musical events, choirs and concerts.
Fundraising also included a treasure hunt while an auction of promises held in Hoole ‘beat all expectations’.
Mr Stacey said: “A huge ‘well done’ must be extended to everybody who has had anything to do with the raising of money for Cheshire Search and Rescue whether a big or small amount. We extend our grateful thanks.
“It is all the more remarkable as most churches continue to raise money for many other charities as a matter of course throughout the year.”
