More than £11,000 has been raised for local charities by generous Whitehaven golfers.

Barry Ackerley and Judith Wigham, retiring captain and lady captain of Whitehaven Golf Club, said they were aiming to raise around £8,000 for their nominated charities, Hospice at Home West Cumbria and the Great North Air Ambulance.

But the pair were delighted to have smashed their target through events such as raffles and competitions.

Mr Ackerley said the captains chose these charities because of the outstanding local work they both did and he had a personal reason to support GNAA because of the sudden death of his friend Brian Coyles, who died suddenly while walking on the Ennerdale fells.

Mrs Wigham said: "People have been extremely kind and generous as soon as they heard what we were raising money for.

"It has been valuable to be able to be in the position to help the community and give something back."

The largest amount raised in one event was from the sponsorship money raised from the 90-hole challenge last year, which brought in almost £1,700.

Keith Jackson, Richard Carter, Phil Rigg and Mr Ackerley took on the mammoth challenge, which saw the captian take on five rounds in one day.

A spokeswoman for Hospice at Home West Cumbria said the funding pay for about 340 hours or nursing care for the terminally ill locally.

She added: "The amount of money they’ve raised over the last year is fantastic and we can see the amount of effort that everyone has put in. We are grateful for every penny."

Hazel Barker, a fundraiser for GNAA, said the money will go a long way towards keeping people safe on the fells.

She added: "Without people like Barry, Judith and everybody who has helped them raise this incredible amount of money, we wouldn’t be able to exist. It’s an incredible amount and they are all lifesavers."