Young people’s charities have been handed a cash boost thanks to a children’s fund.

The Charlie and Kathleen Dunnery Children’s Fund held a fundraising weekend which included a meal and entertainment, a sponsored walk around Loweswater and a charity concert at Egremont Market Hall which was headlined by original It Bites frontman Francis Dunnery.

The fund has already started handing out the money raised, with £3,000 donated to Cumbria Cerebral Palsy and another £3,000 going to West Cumbria Society for the Blind to pay for workers for both organisations.

Fundraiser and volunteer Mark Andrews said: “It went really well and I think they made about £12,000.”

Gill Wykes received the cheque for CCP, while the WCSftB donation was handed to Marie Scott, who has been a volunteer for 25 years.

The room heard from a young boy with sight loss who enjoys music lessons thanks to the fund before guest speakers from CCP, WCSftB and Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary gave an insight into their work.

Entertainment came from Quint Starkie, who came from Sweden, and Simon Betts, who arrived from Australia, with Eric and the Ogres and Buzz Elliott.

Francis Dunnery was joined by Marillion’s Steve Hogarth and Squeeze’s Chris Difford for his concert.

More donations are set to be made over the coming months, with previous organisations to have benefited from the fund including Greenbank Community Playscheme and Rosehill Youth Theatre.

The Egremont charity, which was established by Francis Dunnery in memory of his parents, has also handed out selection boxes at the RVI.

Next year’s event will be held on October 18 and October 19.