A PENSIONER has raised almost £5,000 for an emergency service by selling homemade cards.
Beryl Howard, 78, started raising cash for the Great North Air Ambulance six years ago after her husband suffered a heart attack but recovered thanks to the use of a defibrillator.
They were so impressed that Beryl’s daughter, Catherine Burrell, came up with the idea of raising money for another defibrillator they later donated to a supermarket.
But Beryl decided to continue fundraising for the air ambulance by making the cards, which are sold through small shops.
Beryl, from Billingham, said: “Once we got started, I didn’t want to stop, so I carried on fundraising and this is why we’re here today.
“We have a static caravan and it turns into a crafts room on the rainy days we can’t go outside. It’s a lovely hobby, I really enjoy it.”
Catherine, an orthopaedic nurse, added: “We would have lost many patients if it wasn’t for the aircraft.
“I know the true value of the work the Great North Air Ambulance; it’s close to all our hearts.”
Beryl, along with her sister-in-law Sylvia, who also makes the cards, are now just £300 shy of their £5,000 target.