A YEAR of fundraising and fun at Waitrose in Okehampton has raised more than £800 for the Devon Air Ambulance Trust.

The DAAT has been the store's charity of the year, and store partners raised £811.30 for the charity. DAAT volunteer Marilyn MacQueen visited the store last week to collect the cheque.

Staff raised funds with a 'Come Dine with Helen' event based on the popular Channel 4 programme, a Fat Fighters weight loss group, the Great Waitrose Bake Off cake event, and a raffle.

Waitrose section manager Charlotte Tucker said: 'It has been lots of fun and hard work supporting Devon Air Ambulance over the past year.

'It is an important charity chosen and voted for by our store partners. Many of them were passionate to support the cause, and some of our partners had close ones who had needed the services of the air ambulance.

'We are already plotting our fundraising for our next charity of the year, and hopefully we can raise a good amount for them too.'

Marilyn MacQueen is a volunteer for Devon Air Ambulance Trust. She expressed her thanks to Waitrose for her efforts to raise funds for the charity: 'The fundraising efforts of individuals and organisations like Waitrose help to keep our helicopters in the air saving lives. We are now fundraising to keep two aircraft in the air.

'We now give a coverage of being able to reach 50 per cent of Devon within five minutes. But to offer this, the financial costs are high, and fundraising efforts like this really do mean a huge amount to DAAT. We are very grateful for Waitrose's support.'

The store is now planning fundraising events for its next charity of the year, Children's Hospice South West.